The weird life of the Ouran host club
by TMNTluckygirl
Summary: Maria and Haruhi have been best friends since middle school. They both get enrolled at Ouran Acadamey and they both encounter the Ouran host club. Will they find romance on the way? OC is added into the story line.
1. Chapter 1

_1 year ago_

I ran to the door as the post came through. I shuffled through all of the letters and finally saw it...the Ouran Academy entrance exam results. I tore open the letter and my heart leaped with joy as I saw the words 'Congratulations, you have passed the exams...welcome to Ouran Academy Miss Maria Smith.' I danced around the living room as my mother shouted from her room,

"Did you get in?" I ran to her room and nodded as she hugged me tight

"oh darling I knew you could do it...I wonder if Haruhi got in?" My eyes widened as I ran out of the door to her home. I didn't even stop to catch my breath, her house wasn't far from mine...well she lives in a flat so it's not a house but it's still a home. I ran up the stairs to her door and knocked. She opened the door and looked at me with a smile on her face

"did you get in Maria?"

"yes did you?"

"yes!" We screamed and hugged each other, I couldn't believe we were going to the famous Ouran Academy.

_Present day_

Haruhi and I stared into the busy and loud library. It was the 4th one we tried.

Haruhi started"This place has four library rooms."

"You'd think one of them would be quiet." I finished.

We shut the library door and walked down the hall. Haruhi stopped at the window and looked up at the sky, I knew what she was thinking, she was thinking of her mother who died 10 years ago...she was only 5. I hugged her and asked "you ok?"

She nodded as we continued down the hall. Harhui mentioned

"I'm beginning to think that rich kids only come to school to have a good time." I nodded in agreement

"I wonder if they learn anything at all here." We both stopped outside a huge door which said 'music room 3.'

"It's an abandoned music room." I noticed. Haruhi shrugged

"I guess this is the only place we'll be able to study in peace and quiet." We both nodded and opened the door, the room was so bright and rose petals flew out at us. We suddenly heard some boys say "welcome" to us. Oh no...we had found the host club!

We both panicked and Haruhi cried

"This is a host club?" While Haruhi stuggled to open the door two red headed boys said

"Oh wow, it's a boy...and his girlfriend." What were they talking about? We're both girls...then the one with glasses said

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I believe this young man and woman are in the same class as you, aren't they?" Oh yeah I know those twins...so that's where I've seen them before. Hikaru and Kaoru replied

"Yeah, but they're shy. They don't act very sociably, so we don't know much about them." The boy with the glasses, who I think is named Kyoya, grinned and said

"well, that wasn't very polite. Welcome to the Ouran host club, Mr. and Miss. honor student." I turned around the help Haruhi with the door as I heard a voice behind us say

"What? You must be Haruhi Fujioka. And you must be Maria Smith. You're the exceptional honor students we've heard about." We both stopped and turned around, Haruhi asked nervously

"How did you know our names?"

Kyoya responded"Why, you're infamous. It's not every day that two commoners gain entrance into our academy. You both must have an audacious nerve to work hard enough to fight your way into this school as an honor student, Mr. Fujioka. And Miss Smith."

_Why do they keep calling Haruhi a boy...well she does look like one but I better not say anything. It's not my place to say it's up to her. _I thought to myself.

"Well a- thank you. I guess." We said confusingly.

Suddenly a blonde haired and blue eyed boy put his arms around us and shouted

"You're welcome. You're hero's to other poor people. You've shown the world that even a poor person can excel at an elite private academy. It must be hard for you to constantly be looked down upon by others."

We started shuffling away but her kept on following us.

"I think you're taking this poor thing too far." Haruhi stated. But blondie ignored us and continued

"Spurned, neglected. But that doesn't matter now. Long live the poor! We welcome you, poor people, to our world of beauty!"

I grabbed Haruhi's hand and said "We're outta here."

Suddenly we were pulled back by this boy, who I swear has the cutest face ever!

"Hey! Come back here, Haru-chan and Mari-chan! You must be like a super hero's or something. That's so cool!"

Awww he's so cute! But Haruhi said "I'm not a hero. I'm an honor student. And who are you calling Haruchan?"

The last part scared the boy and he ran away. Blondie stood near us and said

"I never would have imagined the famous scholar would be so openly gay."

Haruhi questioned "Openly what?" _Are they talking about Haruhi? _

Blondie then said to us "So tell me what kind of guys you're into. Do you like the strong silent type? The boy lolita? How about the mischievous type? Or the cool type?"

We started backing away and nervously said

"I uh I-It's not like that. We were just looking for a quiet place to study."

He then tickled our chins, leaned in close and whispered "Or maybe you're into a guy like me. What do you say?"

We moved away and then it happened...we both knocked into a vase, we tried to grab it but is fell to the floor and smashed into little pieces.

We stared at the vase, having no idea what to say or do. One of the twins, who I think is Hikaru said

"Ahuuhh, we were going to feature that renaissance vase in an upcoming school auction."

Karou added "Oh now you've done it, commoners. The bidding on that vase was supposed to start at 8 million yen."

Our eyes widened and Haruhi shouted

"What, 8 million yen? How many thousand yen is that? How many thousands are in 8 million?"

I added "that's 4 million yen each" we turned around and said

"we're gonna have to pay you back." The twins laughed

"With what money? You can't even afford a school uniform."

I hate to admit it but they were right, Haruhi was wearing a dark baggy jumper with jeans and trainers. I was wearing jeans, a plain T-shirt and converses.

"What's with that grubby outfits you've got on anyway?" Hikaru said to us.

I was going to shout at him but then Kyoya said

"Well, what do you think we should do, Tamaki?" The blonde boy named Tamaki sat on his chair and suddenly changed attitude

"There is a famous saying you may've heard, When in Rome, you should do as the Romans do. Since you have no money, you can pay with your body."

_Was he thinking what I think he's thinking? _I thought. But then Tamaki added

"That means, starting today, you are the host club's dogs." We couldn't believe it, we had been kidnapped by a bunch of boys and were forced to be their servants! Tamaki pointed to Haruhi and said

"Mr. Fujioka, your first job is to go shopping for us. Here's a list of the stuff we need. Now off you go."

Haruhi sighed and walked out of the door, leaving me with the boys. I looked at them and the twins smiled evily. I gulped as Tamaki stated

"now you can be our little maid, you can help set everything up for our guests. So you better start sorting out the tables."

I simply nodded and got to work on the tables. I didn't want to speak to them so I tried to avoid eye contact...but the twins kept on trying to put me in a maid outfit which was too revealing in more ways than one. I soon found out the name of the tall one, he was Mori...and he hardly ever talked. Which was ok with and the little boy was named Hunny...which suited him well. About an hour later I finshed making the tables and the girls arrived, they sat with their favourite host as I just served them tea and cleaned whatever rubbish was left.

I heard a conversation with Tamaki and a girl, she said

"Tamaki, what's your favorite song?"

"What song? The one that reminds me of you, of course." Ugh how cliche! Tamaki must be full of them, the girl then asked

"I baked you a cake, today. Would you like to taste it?"

Tamaki then leaned in towards her and said "Only if you'll feed it to me, darling."

"Oh wow you're so dreamy." Yeah right! I do like romance but come on this is too much.

Another girl then said to Tamaki "May I have a word with you, Tamaki? I've recently heard the host club's keeping two little kittens without a pedigree."

What a bitch! If I wasn't in debt I would so slap her right now! Tamaki stated

"I don't know if I'd call them that." He then looked in my direction and winked. If that's his way of standing up to us then I'm a little grateful...but he could have chosen better words. Just then Haruhi returned with the shopping as Tamaki shouted

"Thanks for doing the shopping, little piglet. Did you get everything on our list?" I looked at Haruhi as she questioned

"What? Piglet?" I chuckled as she glared at me. I poked my tongue out at her and picked up empty cups. Suddenly I heard Tamaki shout

"I will drink this coffee!" Everyone started clapping and I noticed he had instant coffee in his hand. _You've got to be kidding me, they're going crazy over that? _ I decided not to pay attention and carried on cleaning whatever needed to be cleaned. As I got closer I heard a girl say

"I'm afraid if I drink this, my father will yell at me." Haruhi must have made them the coffee. Just then Tamaki dipped her and said seductivly

"What if I let you drink it from my mouth?"

"Oh well then, I would drink it." The girl said and other girls started screaming like fangirls. Haruhi came over to me and said

"This is ridiculous." I nodded in agreemet

"you're telling me, it's kinda gross to. I mean it's spitting a drink into someones mouth...ewww."

We laughed and looked at the twins and their little 'act.' Hikaru was saying to some girls

"So he had this nightmare that made him bolt up right out of bed." He laughed as Karou cried

"Hikaru, don't tell them that story. I asked you not to tell anyone that. Why are you so mean to me?"

Hikaru pulled his brother close to him and said "I'm sorry, Kaoru. I didn't mean to upset you. But you were so adorable when it happened that I had to tell them. I'm sorry."

Karou whispered "I forgive you." The girls went crazy and screamed

"I've never seen brotherly love quite like that!" Me and Haruhi rolled our eyes and questioned

"What are they so excited about? I just don't get it."

We walked to the other end of the room where Hunny was being fussed over by some girls. Mori just sat there like a rock.

Haruhi asked "Is that boy really a third year student?" I shrugged and jumped when Kyoya came up beside me

"Honey Senpai may seem young and childish, but he's a prodigy. And then Mori Senpai's allure is his strong and silent disposition."

Hunny then came over to us and spun us around

"Haru-chan! Mari-chan! Do you wanna go have some cake with me?"

I replied shakily "Thanks, but I don't really like cake."

Haruhi agreed and Hunny said "Then, how would you like to hold my bunny, Usa-chan?"

Haruhi replied "I'm not into bunnies." I liked bunnies but Hunny asked her

"Are you saying you don't like Usa-chan?" Haruhi bent down to his height and smiled

"I guess he is kinda cute, huh?" I smiled at Hunny and said

"I'll hold him, I love bunnies." He grinned and gave me Usa-chan

"Take good care of him, okay?" He ran back to his guests and giggled. Kyoya stated to us

"You'll notice that our club utilizes each man's unique characteristics to cater to the desires of our guests. Just so you know, Tamaki is No.1 around here. He is the king. His request rate is 70%. And in order for both of you to pay off your 8 million yen debt with us, you will act as the ouran host club's dogs until you graduate. I'm sorry, I meant our errand boy and maid. You can try to run away if you want to, Haruhi and Maria, but just so you know, my family employs a private police force of 100 officers."

I couldn't believe this guy, he's threatening us.

"By the way, do you two have passports?" He asked.

Why would he need to know that? Just then Tamaki walked up behind us and said

"You're going to have to work hard to pay off that debt, my little nerds." He breathed on the back of our necks which made us shudder.

"Please don't do that again." We both said.

He looked at Haruhi and said "You need a makeover, or no girl's going to look twice at you."

He then looked at me and said "and no boy will look at you if you don't get a makeover."

Charming! I was just about to remark his comment when Haruhi stated

"Yeah, well, I'm not trying to get girls to look at me." Tamaki looked shocked and cried

"Are you kidding me? That's the most important thing. You have to learn to be a gentleman and please the ladies like me."

I decided to step in and said "We just don't think it's all that important. Why should we care about appearances and labels anyway? I mean, all that really matters is what's on the inside, right? We just don't understand why you even have a host club like this."

Haruhi nodded in agreement as Tamaki boasted

"It's a cruel reality, isn't it? It's not often that god creates a perfect person like Moi! Beautiful both inside and out."

Me and Haruhi just blinked and said "Say what?"

Tamaki just continued with his boasting "I understand how you feel since not everyone is as blessed as I am, but you must console yourself, otherwise how would you go on living? And think about this, Why do you think they put works of art in museums? Because beauty should be shared with the world. And those born beautiful should promote other beautiful things."

I just totally zoned out while he was talking. I remembered the days when me and Haruhi were in middle school and everyone would call us sisters. I mean we both had brown hair and brown eyes but I think the main thing was that we both viewed things in a similar way. Haruhi is more of a tomboy and I'm a bit more girly. She now has really short brown hair and I have a bob with a really long frindge covering my eyes. But yeah we've known each other since Middle school. I quickly came back to reality when I heard Haruhi say the word

"Obnoxious." Tamaki then went to a little corner in the room looking rather gloomy. Well she wasn't wrong he is obnoxious. The twins laughed and said to Haruhi

"You're a hero, all right." Haruhi quickly said to Tamaki

"I'm sorry, senpai. But your lesson did strike a small chord with me."

Tamaki then got up and cheerfully said "Really? It did? Let me teach you more, my friend."

_Well he got over that quick_.

Karou then said to Tamaki "You can teach him all the basics of hosting."

Hikaru continued "But he's not going to get very far with the ladies if he doesn't look the part, you know. He's not exactly host club material, but maybe if we took off his glasses, it'd help."

He took of Haruhi's glasses and she moaned

"Hey, I need those. I used to have contacts, but I lost them on the first day of school."

All the boys looked at Haruhi as Tamaki snapped his fingers

"Hikaru, Kaoru."

The twins saluted"Got it." They grabbed Haruhi and pulled her away to the changing rooms. Tamaki then looked at me and said

"I wonder what you look like under that frindge?" He lifted my hair up and stared at me...I had a bad feeling about what he was going to do but then he shouted

"Kyoya, my hair stylist. Mori senpai, go to the eye doctor and get Haruhi some contact lenses."

He started pulling me towards the changing rooms but Hunny came up the Tamaki and asked hopefully

"What about me, Tama-chan?"

"Honey senpai."

"Yes sir."

"You, go have some cake."

Hunny then went off to the emo coner and moaned "It's just us, usachan. Everyone else said they were too busy."

Tamaki pushed me into the changing room and he ran off to get something. While waiting Kyoya introduced me to Tamaki's hairstylist. The hairstylist was very camp and lifted up my frindge, he gasped

"oh my you are a beautiful girl! Why do you hide yourself under your hair?"

I was speechless and before I knew it I was sat down and the camp hairstylist started working on my hair. I must admit it felt rather nice being fussed over like this. After about an hour he held up a mirror and asked

"so what do you think of your new hair?"

I stared...was that really me? I had almost forgotten what I looked like. He cut my frindge so it was just under my eyebrows and my hair was a bob, which sat at my chin. I smiled at him

"thank you so much I love it."

He hugged me tight and screamed

"oh, you really are such a beautiful girl! I bet you are gonna be the heart-throb among the boys. Oh I must help the other child."

He let go and ran off with his stuff. I noticed a yellow dress on the little stool...it was the girl's uniform! There was no way I was wearing that. Just then Kyoya shouted from behind he curtain

"I hope you put that dress on Maria."

I pouted and got out of my scrubby clothes and put on that stupid dress. I then heard Tamaki ask

"Aren't you done changing yet?" I was going to reply but then I heard Haruhi speak

"You sure it's really okay for me to keep this uniform?"

Tamaki squealed "Cute! You're as pretty as a girl. Adorable!"

I'm guessing he still hasn't figured it out.

Hunny added "Haru-chan, you look so cute!"

Then Hikaru started "If we had known that's how you really looked,"

"we would have helped you out sooner." Karou finished.

Kyoya pointed out "Who knows, maybe he'll draw in some customers."

Tamaki responded "You know, that's just what I was thinking. Our errand boy is moving up the ranks. Starting today, you are an official member of the host club. I will personally train you to be a first rate host. If you can get 100 customers to request your service, we will completely forget about your 4 million yen debt."

I could hear Haruhi say in a scared tone "A host?"

I giggled, this should be fun to watch. But then Hunny mentioned me

"I wonder what Mari-chan looks like now?"

I was hoping they all forgot about me...Tamaki then shouted to me "Are you done changing?"

I replied "yes but I'm not coming out...I look like a lemon in this dress! I never liked the girl's uniform here."

Hikaru then teased "oh come on you can't look that bad...if you don't come out we'll come in and get you."

I sighed and opened the curtain. They all stared at me and said "woah."

I growled "I told you I look stupid I look like a walking, talking lemon!"

Tamaki shook his head "I wasn't even paying attention to the dress, you look so different now. You look...like a princess!"

Everyone nodded in agreement and I noticed Haruhi...she looked amazing! Her hair has been cut a bit shorter than it was and was now styled. She was wearing the boys uniform and smiled at me.

"You look great Maria, even if you do look like a lemon."

I playfully punched her "shut up. And you don't look too bad yourself."

The boys walked away and Haruhi was about to follow when I whispered to her

"hey, when are you gonna tell them you're a girl?" Haruhi looked at me and shrugged

"I don't care whether they recognise me as a boy or a girl. It's what on the inside that counts."

I just nodded and followed her to the others. I had always admired how down to earth she was and that was one of the reasons we got along so well.

Haruhi was dragged away and sat at a table with some customers. I just carried on serving everyone and trying to make the dress more confortable. It was so itchy! The twins came up behind me and asked

"what's wrong Maria? Is the dress annoying you?"

I nodded and complained "it's so itchy and I hate the way it looks...I would rather wear your maid outfit!"

As soon as I said that I regreted it because the twins then looks at me evily. I tried to run away but they grabbed my arms and pulled me back to the changing rooms. They gave me the maid outfit and said

"Go ahead then."

They left me alone and I just wanted a giant hole to eat me up. I got out of the yellow monstrosity and got into the maid outfit. It wasn't that bad actually, it wasn't revealing at all. It went down to my knees and it looked rather cute. I put on the bonnet and walked out, everyone looked at me and the girls screamed

"Oh my god Maria you look so cute!"

The twins grinned at me "we knew you would."

They winked at me and went back to their customers. Well I felt better in the maid outfit anyway. Just then I noticed that red haired bitch named Ayanokoji walking out of the door, glaring at Haruhi. I didn't know what she was up to but it wasn't good. Haruhi came up to me and said

"I need to get my bag, do you need yours?"

"No thanks, I don't think I need it now."

She smiled and ran to our classroom. After about 20 minutes I got a bit worried. _Surely it doesn't take someone that long to get their bag. _Tamaki also seemed to notice because he went out of the room to look for her. I just continued cleaning as Kyoya came up to me.

"I must tell you Maria that I know." I looked at him confused and asked

"know what?" He smirked and said

"that Haruhi is a girl." My mouth dropped open as I asked

"then why do you keep calling her a boy? Why not tell everyone?"

He chuckled and stated "first, she needs to pay back her debt one way so she can do it by being a host. Second I think it's better if I let the others figure it out for themselves...it's more interesting that way."

_Oh great while I'm stuck as the maid Haruhi is moved up to a host. _Kyoya smiled and said

"we would make you one as well but your body is too femenine. Haruhi looks more like a boy though so she can."

I sighed "I know, it's not the first time she's been mistaken for a boy. It's just that it's going to take me longer to may back my debt."

Kyoya nodded but said "don't be too sure, your jobs a little easier than hers." He walked away to his laptop to do...whatever he does on that thing.

Haruhi came back with Tamaki, her hands were wet and she walked up to me smelling like a pond.

"Umm Haruhi...what were you doing?"

She sighed "I found my bag in the pond outside, someone must have put it in there."

I gasped, I had no idea there were bullies here. I growled and said

"if I ever find out who did this I'm gonna..."

Just then Kyoya came up to Haruhi and said "you have a customer. She over there."

Haruhi walked to the table and there was...Ayanokoji! I had a feeling she put Haruhi's bad into the pond so I decided to eavesdrop a bit. I stood behind a pillar and listened to what she said.

"And you actually made Tamaki search that dirty old pond with you. How astonishing. You do realize he's a blue blood and not a commoner, right? The only reason he's paying attention to you is because he's trying to turn you into a gentleman. Don't start thinking he cares about you just because he's doting on you."

I swear to god the next time she is a bitch to Haruhi I am gonna kill her. Just then Haruhi stated

"Now I understand. You're jealous of me."

Of course it made perfect sense! The bitch must have been jealous of Haruhi because Tamaki had been giving her more attention that Ayanokji. Suddenly she scremed

"No, Haruhi, leave me alone! Somebody, help! He just attacked me! Someone, do something! Teach this commoner a lesson!"

That was it! I got out from behind the pillar and started walking towards them. But the twins poured water on them both and Mori held me back. I looked on as that bitch said to the twins

"Why did you do that?"

Tamaki came over and helped her up. She pleaded to Tamaki "Do something, Tamaki. Haruhi just assaulted me."

_No she never! Haruhi would never assult you! _

Tamaki then said "I'm disappointed in you. You threw his bag into the pond, didn't you?"

I smirked as Ayanokoji panicked

"You don't know that. Do you have any proof that I did?"

Tamaki pushed her hair out of her face and said

"You know, you're a beautiful girl. But you aren't classy enough to be our guest, dear. If there's one thing I know, Haruhi is not that kind of a man."

Oh yeah! My respect for Tamaki just went through the roof!

Ayanokoji cried "But why, Tamaki? You idiot!"

She then ran out crying. Well it serves her right! Tamaki the looked at Haruhi who was still on the floor

"Hmm, now how am I going to punish you? Because it is your fault after all. Your quota is now one thousand!"

What?! And now my respect for him as gone down a bit. Poor Haruhi. He then helped her up and said

"Come on. I've got high expectations for you, my little rookie."

Mori let go of my as I ran to Haruhi and hugged her "are you alright?"

"I'm fine, she kicked me in the leg that's why the table fell and I was ontop of her."

I hugged her again and finally let go. 15 minutes later Kyoya came back with another boy's uniform

"This is the only spare uniform we have. Sorry, but it's better than a wet one, right?"

Haruhi smiled "Thanks a lot, you guys. I'm gonna go change."

She went of to the changing rooms. Tamaki then got some towels and went to the changing rooms to give them to Haruhi. Hunny came up to me and said

"I think Tama-chan is gonna find out now." I looked at him shocked

"you knew? For how long?" He giggled

"only for a little while, everyone knows apart from Tama-chan." Wow these guys are smarter than I thought. We all went to the changing rooms as Tamaki said

"So, you're a girl?"

Oh finally! It only took him the entire day! Haruhi repied

"Biologically speaking, yeah."

She came out from behind the curtain wearing the yellow dress...wait where did she get that from? She explained to Tamaki

"Listen, senpai, I don't really care whether you guys recognize me as a boy or a girl. In my opinion, it's more important for a person to be recognized for who they are rather than for what sex they are."

"Well, isn't this an interesting development." Kyoya said.

"Oh, yeah" The twins agreed.

Haruhi quickly said "Uh, you know, I have to say, senpai. I thought you were pretty cool earlier."

Tamaki started blushing and turned as red as a tomato. Kyoya turned his head behind him and said

"Now I could be wrong, but I think we may be witnessing the beginnings of love here."

_Who the hell is he talking to? _

Haruhi turned to the mirror and stated

"Being a host and getting fussed over by a bunch of girls might not be that bad. I wonder how I could pull it off. I've got it. I'll just call everyone dude and bro now."

Haruhi laughed as I rolled my eyes. I have a feeling this is only the beginning to the weird life of the Ouran host club.

**A/N: Ta da! What do you think? I hope you like it, I know it's kinda bad but I'be been focusing on a lot of things at the moment and it's been a while since I've written anything. Anyway if anyone reading this is also reading the Transformers Prime story I am soooo sorry but I am majorly stuck on it at the moment. I will try and get it done ASAP but I am struggling a bit. Ok bye bye now :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I heard the chimes of the clock, telling us it was 3pm. I looked at Haruhi and she looked at me. We quickly packed up our stuff and ran out of the library to music room 3.

"We'll never hear the end of it if we show up late." Haruhi pointed out to me.

We finally stopped outside the room and opened the door.

"Welcome" was heard from the boys and when I looked around...the whole place was decked out like a tropical paradise. The twins said to us

"You finally made it, Haruhi and Maria. You're so late."

Totally ignoring what they said Haruhi looked in her mini calender and asked "I could be wrong, but my calendar says it's still early spring."

She was right of course, the flowers had barely begun to bloom. But of course Tamaki had to argue

"Huddling under a kotatsu table, fearing the cold is nonsense. And besides the heating system we have is the best."

_Well that's a waste of electricity._ I thought. But it did feel rather nice...unfortunatly I had to go with their theme and dress up in a Hawaii costume. I was going to object but Kyoya said

"Do you have a problem with the way we run our club, Haruhi and Maria? Be careful what you say. You owe us 8 million yen, remember?"

How could I forget. We had to share that between us. Tamaki happily added

"Gentlemen...and lady. Don't bundle up in bulky clothing. It may be a chilly early spring out there in the real world, but here at the club we want to surprise our chilly little kittens with a warm tropical paradise. Oh yes. We've turned this place into nirvana, a balmy tropical island of everlasting summer."

Haruhi mumbled "That's funny 'cause I feel a massive chill right now."

I chuckled and got changed into a Hula skirt and a coconut bra. The girls arrived not long after and some of them came up to me.

"Wow Maria you look amazing."

"Yeah I wish I would look good in that."

I decided to have a go at this 'hosting' thing and replied "I highly doubt that ladies, I bet you would look good in anything."

They all squealed and hugged me tight...almost to the point where I couldn't breath. They finally let go and went off to their hosts. Haruhi came up to me and smirked

"that was pretty good Maria, careful or you might take my job."

I laughed and went off to tidy up, I served tea and gathered up empty cups. I saw Tamaki put on his act to his guests

"What heartlessness. Even with my lustrous skin shining like brilliant ivory, exposed by my Balinese king outfit, I'm no more than a slave before my goddess. I kneel before you and swear my loyalty."

"Tamaki."

"Lucky."

"Oh wow." They all pratically drooled over him, _Oh good greif_ I just gathered up their cups and was about to walk away when I heard Tamaki say

"Oh yes. I almost forgot to mention to you, ladies. Next week, the Ouran host club is sponsoring a party." I walked towards to twins and a girl asked them

"What kind of party is it going to be? Is it going to be formal?"

Hikaru nodded "Yes, in fact we've rented the school's largest hall."

Kaoru responded "It's a perfect place for dancing."

Hikaru then pulled his brother close to him and said

"But I really wanted to spend some alone time with you, Kaoru."

Kaoru pretended to blush and replied "Don't be upset, Hikaru. I know exactly how you feel."

The girls squealed as I went over to a tiki bar. I said to myself

"The guests seem to be even more worked up than they usually are?"

Kyoya, who was also at the bar, said "Showing some skin proves popular with the ladies."

I looked at him and asked "So are you the one who came up with this tropical paradise idea?"

Kyoya smirked "I have no decision-making authority. All the club's policies have been laid out by the club's king, Tamaki. But I guess there's no harm in admitting to casually slipping a Bali photo book onto his desk."

_So he's the brains behind all of this. _I looked over at Haruhi as a girl asked her

"Um Haruhi? Aren't you going to wear a tropical outfit like the other boys?"

Another girl nodded "I'd like to see that."

Haruhi stuttered "Oh well, no, I... I just don't think it's appropriate to wear anything but early spring attire in early spring, you know?"

Tamaki then ran over and said "But we have one ready for you, Haruhi. I think you'll like it. You and I are a pair."

Haruhi quickly replied "no thanks" which made Tamaki go into his little emo coner.

A girl said to Haruhi "Wow Haruhi, you're really faithful to the different seasons, aren't you?"

"I think that's great. I hope we're lucky enough that cherry blossoms are in full bloom on the night of the party."

"The two of us dancing among the cherry blossoms. It's so dreamy." The three girls all sighed at the thought as Haruhi said

"You really think so? You know, ladies. I think it's so cute when you dream like that."

All the girls sighed dreamily at her _she is really a natural _I thought. Just then a girl came over and said

"Excuse me. I hate to disturb, but I think it's time for the hosts to switch clients."

Haruhi looked up at her and replied "Oh, I'm sorry. You must be my next appointment, Miss..."

The girl smiled "My name is Kaneko, Kaneko Kasugazaki. You're even cuter than I expected. I've decided. From now on, you're going to be my new favorite host, Haruhi."

_Oh well that didn't take long._

About an hour later all the girls had left and we turned the room back to normal. Tamaki however was eating some ramen in his emo coner. Hikaru simpily said

"Hey boss, why don't you stop eating that commoner's ramen and come over here to help us with the party planning?"

Kaoru added "Does it really bother you that princess Kasuga has taken a liking to Haruhi?"

Kyoya, from his laptop, said "He shouldn't be surprised. She's had the illness for a while now, hasn't she?"

Me and Haruhi looked at each other and asked "What illness?"

Hikaru said to us "She's got the host hopping disease."

Kaoru popped up from behind him and also said "AKA never-the-same-boy-twice disease."

_Oh she's one of THOSE..._ I thought to myself.

Kyoya added "Usually, our customers choose a favorite host and see them regularly. However, princess Kaneko tends to change her favorites on a regular basis."

Hunny then jumped up from...somewhere and said "That's right. Because before she chose you Haru-chan, she was with Tama-chan."

Haruhi raised her eyebrows and asked "Oh, so he's upset because I took her from him?"

Tamaki then finally came out from the emo corner and yelled "Shut up! I couldn't care less."

He growled and pointed at Haruhi "I'm running out of patience. Haruhi, it's time you started dressing like a girl. I don't understand how you could be so popular with the ladies, when you yourself are a lady. No one in the entire school knows the truth except for those of us here."

Hikaru and Kaoru popped up next to him and said "Yeah, she opted out of taking gym classes."

"And the attendance numbers are all mixed together so no one can tell."

Tamaki ran off and came back with a chest and rummeged through it "That's enough, Haruhi. Now you listen to Daddy."

He got out a gigantic photo of Haruhi when she was in middle school and had long hair.

"Daddy wants you to go back to the way you were."

Haruhi yelled "Don't go blowing up my photos without asking me first!"

_I just don't get it...is Tamaki refering to himself as our dad? _I then saw everyone looking at the photo and Tamaki was on the floor crying.

Hikaru asked "The more I look at this picture, the more amazed I am. How could this possibly become that?"

Everyone looked at us as I started "The day before school started, one of the kids in our neighborhood got some gum in her hair."

Haruhi continued "It's so really pain to get gum out of long hair. So I decided to cut it all off. I didn't care if I look like a dude, you know."

I personally thought it suited her but Tamaki had other ideas.

He cried "Girls should never refer to themselves as a dude. Momma, Haruhi's using those dirty boy words again."

He started crying again as Kaoru asked

"I'm sorry, but who is momma?"

Kyoya calmy replied "Based on club position, I assume it's me."

_Pfft I'm not suprised, those two are just like a married couple_.

Haruhi looked at Tamaki and said "Look, I don't see what you're crying about. Working as a host, I can pay back more of my debt. It'll never happen if I'm just an errand boy."

I glared at Haruhi..as that is my job "gee thanks Haruhi that makes me feel so much better."

Haruhi gasped and said "sorry, I didn't mean it like that." I was about to respond when Hikaru asked

"Hate to change the subject, but do you two have formal dancing experience? You'll need it at the party."

Me and Haruhi looked at them a little frightened as Haruhi said "Hh no. But the party doesn't have anything to do with our quotas, right? I'm not interested in going to events, so if I could be excused..."

Tamaki then popped up behind her looking rather scary looking. He said to her "Definitely not. A refined gentleman must know how to dance. If you want to live the life of a host that badly, you're going to have to show us how far you're willing to go, Haruhi. I order you to master dancing the waltz in one week and you will demonstrate it for us at the party. Or I'll tell the entire school that you're a girl and knock you back down to an errand boy."

He then looked at me and said "the same goes to you Maria, you must master the waltz in one week as well or I'll raise your debt to us."

What?! Well it didn't really matter as I kinda knew how to waltz from the dance classes I used to go to. But I will need to practise. But it was kinda late so I walked Haruhi home and then went to mine.

The next day was just another normal day. I was working at the host club and I noticed Haruhi trying to learn the waltz with princess Kaneko.

"Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow. Good work, Haruhi. Now on the 'slow', you should bring your feet together. Remember. The gentleman always leads. And make sure to look at the lady you're dancing with."

She was a really nice girl. Haruhi looked at her and said "Got it."

Just then they both fell and Haruhi was ontop of Kaneko. "I'm so sorry, Miss Kasugazaki."

Kaneko smiled and pulled Haruhi close "It's okay, Haruhi."

I rolled my eyes as Haruhi helped her up. Just then a girl came up to me and asked

"are you going to go to the party Maria?"

I looked at her and smiled "yes I am, but unfortunatly I need to try and remind myself how to waltz."

The girl then offered "if you want I can help you."

Oh wow the people at this school are nicer than I thought. "Wow really? Thank you very much."

For the next half an hour the kind girl reminded me how to waltz, and I got the hang of it quickly. I thanked her and went over to Haruhi, who was talking to a boy with Kyoya about tea cups. _Weird conversation but ok..._ I noticed Princess Kaneko and the guy kept on looking at each other. Something was obviously going on between them. The boy then left and Haruhi said to Kaneko

"I get the feeling you and that guy are kinda close."

Kaneko jumped up startled and panicked "Don't be ridiculous. We hardly know each other. What makes you say that, Haruhi? Now, if you would please, excuse me. Take care."

She ran out of the room and shut the door behind her. Me and Haruhi looked at each other as Hunny jumped onto Haruhi's shoulders

"Haru-chan! Guess what? They do know each other. Suzushima is Kasuga-chan's fiance."

Oh so Suzushima must be that boy with the tea cups. And that must be why they acted all weird with each other. Tamaki looked at Kyoya and said

"Kyoya, how long have you known about this?"

Kyoya looked at Tamaki and replied "About the two of them being engaged? Well, as you know, I conduct general researches on all of our customers. The two of them were childhood friends. It seems their engagement was arranged by their parents. I didn't think the information would benefit us. So I disregarded it."

I got a bit curious and asked Kyoya "so what's this guy like?"

Kyoya looked into his black book and said "Toru Suzushima. Outstanding grades, fair social status. He's ordinary looking. But he's reliable. If I had to fault him for anything..."

Hikaru then interupted "He doesn't have much presence."

Kaoru then continued "And he's faint-hearted."

Kyoya then finished "So, in other words, he's boring."

I nudged Haruhi and whispered "I had no idea they were so merciless toward other guys."

She nodded in agreement as Hunny, who was now on Mori's shoulders, asked

"Suzushima is a good boy, right?"

Mori finally spoke but only said "Yeah."

_Well at least I now know he can talk. _Tamaki then shouted

"All right, everyone. We'll have to work on our strategy."

Everyone then asked "which one?"

Tamaki simply stated "Men, it is our responsibility as members of the elite Ouran host club to make every girl happy."

A week passed and it was the day of the party. I had found my dark blue dress then went down to my knees and put it on. I wore my silver heels with it and put on some makeup...it was a special occasion after all. Haruhi came to the door of my house and was wearing a suit...because all the girls thought she was a guy. I shouted bye to my mum and we started walking to the school. We finally arrived and found the guys in the hall getting ready for the party. Tamaki looked at Haruhi and squealed

"Oh you look so cute!"

He hugged her tight as she tried to get out of his grasp. I laughed as I noticed the others staring at me. I asked them

"is something wrong?" They shook out of their trance as Hunny said

"you look so pretty Mari-chan."

Mori just said "yeah."

The twins put their arms around me and said "that dress suits you...ever thought about being a model?"

I shook my head "oh no, I would hate to walk up and down a runway...I would get dizzy."

They laughed as I say Kyoya smiling at me "you look nice Maria."

_Did he just compliment me? _Kyoya bowed and carried on with the tables. Everyone helped out until the room and shining like a star. All the girls came in while the boys...and Haruhi stood on the stairs. I just stood next to Haruhi. Tamaki then said to the girls

"It is so good to see you here tonight, my little lambs. The Ouran host club would like to bid you welcome."

All the lights then turned on an music filled the hall. All the girls clapped as Kyoya spoke

"As always, ladies, the host club members are here for your entertainment. So we invite you to dance to your heart's content. Based on dancing skills, one lucky young lady will be chosen as tonight's queen. The queen's reward will be a passionate kiss on the cheek from our king."

Tamaki grinned and winked "Good luck to you, my darlings."

All of the girls swooned and screamed as he said that. Me and Haruhi just looked emotionless as Hikaru and Kaoru said

"Haruhi, Maria, show some enthusiasm."

Haruhi then stated "Well, excuse me, you guys. Sorry. I'm not used to this sort of thing. I've only ever gone to the festivals held in my neighborhood park."

I nodded "same goes to me as well. I've never been to a formal party before."

Kyoya then spoke to us "I don't know if you can really consider that a party or not. Well, since you're already here, you might as well get yourself something to eat. We've got a quite spread."

Me and Haruhi looked at each other and said together

"A spread? With fancy tuna?"

All the boys gasped and said "fan-cy tuna?"

Tamaki jumped down from above us and shouted to Kyoya

"Get some fancy tuna here right now."

Kyoya was already on the phone and spoke "Add some deluxe sushi."

To top it off Hikaru and Kaoru were nuzzling against me and Haruhi..._Damn these filthy rich jerks. _But we eventually got out of their grasp as girls requested to dance with them. All the boys went down and danced rather beautifully with the girls. Me and Haruhi decided to joke around and dance with each other. It looked kinda werid as I'm taller than her but we laughed. We stopped dancing as Haruhi went to stand by a pillar. Hunny came up to me and asked

"Mari-chan, do you wanna dance with me?"

I smiled "of course I will."

He smiled as I spun him around, he was small enough to be lifted up like a little kid. Hunny dragged me over to Mori and said

"Takashi, why don't you dance with Mari-chan?"

Mori simply bowed and held out his hand. I accepted and danced with him for a little while...until we sawe Haruhi and Kaneko walking to the dance floor. Kyoya, Hikaru and Kaoru had already left and Hunny said

"Kasuga-chan is here."

Tamaki told the boys "All right, men. Then let us commence with our operation."

Mori and Hunny both said "Roger" and grabbed Haruhi away from Kaneko.

Of course I knew what the plan was...we were gonna try and get Kaneko and Suzushima closer with each other. Tamaki went to follow the other and I did to, when we got there Haruhi had long hair and was wearing a pink dress. I could tell she hated it and she started walking like a robot.

"My face feels heavy, and it's hard to walk in these shoes."

That's my Haruhi for you...we all wished her luck as Tamaki cried

"I can't believe. She is so pretty!"

We all went back to the hall as the boys went to dance with girls while Tamaki got Kaneko and took her somewhere. As the night continued I danced with the twins for god knows how long. When I got away Kyoya bowed to me and asked

"I believe it's my turn."

I smiled and took his hand, I had to admit he was very graceful. He smiled at me the entire time which made me blush a little but thankfully he didn't notice. Just then the spotlights came on outside and we knew what was going on. Everyone walked outside and Tamaki announced

"Ladies and gentlemen. It is now time for us to begin the final dance of this evening festivities. The last waltz of the night has been chosen by the host club for this couple."

Suzushima bowed to Kaneko and asked "Princess Kasuga, may I have this dance?"

She hesitated a bit at first but then agreed and they danced like a loved up couple. I saw Haruhi dressed as a boy again and stood beside her. Tamaki swung his arms open and me and Haruhi ducked to avoid being smacked in the face.

"May this awkward couple be for ever blessed!" Hikaru and Kaoru stood beside Tamaki and Hikaru began

"And now we'll announce the queen of the ball."

Kaoru finished "Congratulations, Princess Kaneko Kasugazaki."

Everyone clapped as Hikaru continued "And for her reward, a kiss on the cheek from the king..."

Tamaki grinned "You ready?"

But then Kaoru added "Haruhi Fujioka will stand in for Tamaki."

Me, Tamaki and Haruhi looked at them shocked. But they said in union

"Kyoya did say that a little accident towards the end of night might make even more thrilling for everyone."

_Trust Kyoya to say something like that. _

Haruhi moaned "There is no way I can kiss her."

Kyoya then bribed Haruhi by saying "If you do it, we'll cut your debt by one-third."

Our eyes widened as I said "it's just on the cheek, besides you debt will be cut." Haruhi sighed and walked down to steps to Kaneko.

Just then Hunny said "Hey, you don't think this is Haru-chan's first kiss, do you?"

I realised and added "oh yeah it is..." Tamaki panicked and said

"What? Wait, Haruhi!" He slipped on a banana peel and pushed Haruhi into Kaneko...which made then kiss on the lips! All of the girls squealed as I just facepalmed. I bet Haruhi wasn't expecting that.

When the night ended Kyoya offered to take us home in his limo. We thanked him and got in with all of the others. Tamaki was still in shock and the twins were teasing him about it. I just looked at Haruhi and said

"well that was unexpected wasn't it?"

She laughed "I never would have thought that I would end up giving my first kiss to another girl. But it was such an amazing night. So I guess it's just as well."

**A/N: Hooray for not having a social life! Because of this I have another chapter for you all :P To be honest I can't wait to start working on the next chapter...because it's the one where all the boys are topless *giggles* Anyway thank you for your reviews they are greatly appreciated :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It's Wednesday, the day me and Haruhi dread the most out of all of the days...it's cosplay day. Tamaki had decided to go with a spring theme as it was now spring. The doors opened to the garden outside the school as many girls stood there. We all welcomed them in and sat them down with their hosts. I simply walked around in my very pink dress, which had flowers all over it. I carried on serving and seeing what the guys were doing. I saw Tamaki asking a girl

"So, in which cup would my princess like her tea? The Foley? The Worcester? Or perhaps the Susie Cooper Gardenia?"

_Really? They need names? They're tea cups! _

The girl admired the cups and replied "Beautiful. These are English antiques, aren't they? Which one do you like, Tamaki?"

Tamaki pulled the girl closer to him from the chin and whispered "Which one? Well, none of these compare to my princess."

"Wow, I don't really know what to say." _I do...yuck! _

I looked over to Hikaru and Kaoru who were putting on their 'twincest' act. A girl who was with them said

"I can't take it. It's overwhelming."

The black haired girl who was with her ushered

"You have to watch this. You may never get another chance. Who knows it will happen again?"

Kyoya suddenly popped out of nowhere and said "You are absolutely right, mademoiselle. All beauty is fleeting."

He continued while looking at the cherry blossoms "Just take a look at these cherry blossoms. You'll never be able to see them this vibrant again. And that's why I compiled this picture book that contains photo that capture the beauty of each passing day. Incidentally, I've prepared similar books for the other hosts as well. And if you ladies are interested in collecting all four of them, I'll discount full set for you."

Both of the girls pratically begged for the picturebooks. Well, at least the club is earning extra money. But trust Kyoya to take any opportunity to make money. I looked at find Haruhi and saw her with Hunny and Mori. Hunny was trying to make some green tea but was stirring too fast. Finally Mori stated

"Mitsukuni, you overdid it." Poor Hunny looked like he was going to cry but a girl hurried to cheer him up

"Honey, I'll take it. It looks so yummy." She drank it while her friend said

"It's just the right amount for both of us. Any more would be too much. How did you know? You never cease to amaze me."

Hunny immediatly cheered up and smiled. About half an hour later the host club had finished for the day, I stood next to Haruhi as we admired the blossoms and breathed in the fresh air. It didn't last long as our moment of peace was interupted by Tamaki

"Haruhi, Maria, how are you doing? Are you having a good time?" We looked at him as he continued

"The flower-viewing reception is going over quite well. But even so, its rather daunting to spend more time to being admired than doing the admiring."

You could pratically see the sweatdrop from Haruhi's head "Oh wow senpai, you're blooming in more ways than one."

I chuckled as Tamaki replied "You noticed. Yes, today, my beauty is quite splendid and I'm in the full of bloom. I bet you'll fall for me, soon."

_Well someones full of himself, this guy must live his life completely unaware of the hardships of this world. _Just then I felt and arm around me as I saw Kaoru next to me and Hikaru next to Haruhi.

They both asked "So, Haruhi and Maria, have you decided your elective courses for this term?"

Kaoru continued "How about conversational French?"

"I don't know." Me and Haruhi replied, we both wanted to stay in class together but most of the classes were boring.

Hikaru then said "I think that four of us should take it together. It makes perfect sense."

Kaoru then joined in with Hikaru "We are in the same class."

They turned their heads and looked at Tamaki which made him go to his emo corner. I decided to just carry on choosing classes with the twins...well that was until Tamaki came over and grabbed both me and Haruhi, he shouted

"Listen, Haruhiand Maria. I want you to stop hanging out with shady twins from now on." Of course the twins protested, Hikaru began

"Who you calling shady?"

Kaoru finished "Yeah, take a good look at yourself, boss."

Tamaki then let us go and gasped "Yes, that's it. All right then. We can't go on hiding the fact that you're a girl from everyone at this school any longer Haruhi. All daddy wants is for you to go back to being the girl you used to be, for you to surround yourself by girl friends and start leading a wholesome life."

_Hey what am I? Chopped liver? I'm Haruhi's friend you know! _Tamaki continued to shake Haruhi to get her to start acting like a 'girl' but Hikaru stated

"You don't have to rush things. She's going to be found out soon enough."

Kaoru finished "Physical exams are the day after tomorrow."

Me and Haruhi looked at them and questioned "Physical exams?"

Everyone looked at Haruhi as Kyoya said "That's right. I forgot all about it."

Haruhi thought about it and said "Then that means there's no doubt. They're gonna know I'm really a girl."

Tamaki, the twins and Hunny gasped. I just rolled my eyes, _it's not that big a deal...is it? _

* * *

The next day came and went quickly, the last bell rang for the day as we were reminded of the physical exams tomorrow. Me and Haruhi made our way to the host club.

"Ready to face Tamaki's hug a death?" I joked.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head "I swear it's like he's never hugged anyone before."

We opened the door and Haruhi began "Hey guys, sorry we're so late..."

But suddenly Tamaki ran up to Haruhi and grabbed her arms "Don't you worry, Haruhi! We determined to keep your secret. No one will find out that you're really a girl during tomorrow's physical exams. So please, promise you'll stay our beloved secret princess." Haruhi just blinked and agreed.

I shuffled over to Mori and asked "do I want to know?"

He looked and me and simply said "no." I walked to Haruhi and saw the guys at a whiteboard, with their 'plan and action.'

"Listen up, squad members. At tomorrow's physical exams, position yourselves for formation A. And then wait for orders." Tamaki ordered. Hunny and the twins saluted as Haruhi said

"I've got it. You guys are worried because if they find out I'm a girl, I can't be a host and therefore can't repay my debt. My balance is 5,333,332 yen. Well, guess I'll have to come up with another way to pay you back." She started laughing as Tamaki pointed to Haruhi

"Are you saying that you hate being a host? That you hate this club?" By this time Haruhi stopped laughing and simply said

"To be honest, I'd have to say yes." Tamaki gasped and huddled in his emo corner.

Haruhi continued "I mean you guys aren't bad. But If it gets out that I'm a girl, there's nothing I can do, you know?" She carried on laughing as I stood with the boys,

Hikaru moaned "She doesn't seem to care one way or the other."

Kaoru continued "Well before we do anything else, we have to find a way to motivate her."

Suddenly Mori looked at Haruhi and said "Fancy tuna." She gasped at the thought.

Tamaki suddenly said from his corner "Oh that's right. You didn't get a chance to eat any during last episode's party, did you?"

_Episode? What does he mean by that? _ He turned his head and he looked really scary with an evil glint in his eyes. _Man he looks like the girl from the Excorsist. _

I looked at the twins who were whispering to each other about fancy tuna, I then looked at Kyoya who was ignoring what was going on and was taking notes in his book.

"Are you not bothered by this Kyoya?" I asked.

He looked at me and grinned "there's not much I can do you know, besides it doesn't really matter to me...just as long as she pays us back."

_He really is evil..._

Haruhi then spoke nervously "What are you talking about? Don't be silly. Just because I'm poor and I've never had it doesn't mean I'm so much of a glutton that I'd go on fooling everyone about my gender just to try some fancy tuna..."

She laughed nervously then stopped "Am I really gonna get to try it?"

_She really is a glutton...its just fancy tuna. _I shook my head and smiled, this was going to be fun.

* * *

Finally it was the day of the physical exam. Me, Haruhi and the twins were making our way down the hall to the examination room along with the other students. Haruhi asked the twins

"So, what's the deal of this formation A thing you guys were talking about? What do they do during physical exams here at Ouran, anyway?"

Hikaru replied "It's no different from a physical exam you did in any other school."

Kaoru continued "Yeah, why would a physical exam be any different for us just because we're rich?"

Haruhi laughed "You're right. I didn't think about that way."

We came to the door and opened it, inside were two long lines of doctors welcoming the students. Me and Haruhi gasped as I asked

"W-what is all this?"

Hikaru just calmy walked in "Just another physical exam."

Kaoru followed "The usual."

Haruhi and I just looked at each other and asked "The usual?"

We walked in as two nurses took the twins away for their height measurements. Another nurse came up to Haruhi and said

"Mr. Fujioka, I'm your nurse for physical exams this afternoon. Please come this way." She grabbed her hand and dragged her towards to curtains. I decided to follow...I didn't want to miss this. I then saw Hunny and Mori dressed as doctors. I found Haruhi who was looking at them as well. I said to her

"It's so obvious." She nodded and Kyoya popped up from...I dunno and explained

"I've got those two for backup just in case something happens."

I turned to him and asked "But why are they in doctor disguises?"

He replied "They're just helping to set the mood. The disguises make our operation feel like a real espionage mission."

_This isn't a spy movie you know..._

I turned to Haruhi who was observing some doctors who were praising a girl for loosing weight.

She asked "Don't you think it's weird that these doctors are all so jovial and nice?"

Kyoya stated to us "They're chosen by the school's chairman. This may be a school, but it's also a business. Therefore, they want to keep students happy. After all, most of the students that attend Ouran academy come from prominent families that have their own private doctors at home. So, this is just a formality."

_These damn rich people. _

I followed Haruhi until we saw a big group of girl gathered around the twins. A nurse said to them

"Hitachiin brothers, would you please come with me? We're ready to do your chest measurements. You can use the area behind this curtain to undress."

Hikaru unbuttoned his shirt and began "Doesn't matter to me."

Kaoru, who was also undoing his shirt, finished "We're not shy. Who needs a curtain?"

As soon as their shirts were off all of the girls started screaming like wild animals. Kyoya popped up next to me and Haruhi

"See. A rather impressive turnout today. Physical exam day is quite popular with the ladies."

Haruhi whispered to me "What's wrong with the girls at this school?" I shrugged and looked at the twins, Hikaru was holding Kaoru and said

"I won't allow it. It's just not fair. I won't let those doctors touch you, Kaoru."

Kaoru chuckled "What are you talking about? You don't seem to have a problem touching me when we play doctor at home. I can't get you to stop tickling me and toying with my body."

_Thanks for that...now that's going to haunt my dreams. _

A doctor came up to me and bowed "Miss Maria Smith? I'm your doctor for today, please follow me."

He grabbed my hand and took me to the curtains. I had to admit this doctor was very young...and very attractive with his shiny brown hair and peircing blue eyes. _I could get used to this. _

He took my height and weight measurements before saying "we need to measure your waist and chest. So if you please can you remove your top?"

"Oh yes of course." I replied. I was once again wearing a pair of jeans and converses, but this time I had a very fashionable top on...thanks to Hikaru and Kaoru. They refused to let me wear another scrubby top. I took my new top off and the doctor got in a nurse to take my measurements. After that was finished I saw the nurse smiling at me

"oh my your perfect! You have such a beautiful body, a proper womans body it's so nice. Do you work out?"

"Uh..thank you. And no not really." It was kinda creepy that she was being so nice and happy about it but I simply thanked her and walked out.

I found Haruhi in the changing room looking sad, I knelt down to her as she told me everything about Tamaki pretending to be Haruhi...but it didn't work. _The twins probably tricked him into it...poor Tamaki. _Kyoya tapped Haruhi's shoulder and we looked up at him

"Haruhi, ready? I wanna head and set up a separate room for you, a special boys' clinic. And I have a doctor standing by sworn to secrecy."

We stood up as Hikaru said "It turns out that doctors here today are all one staff and one of Kyoya senpai's family's hospitals."

Kaoru finished "Would've been nice if you said something to us earlier." I was going to agree with them when Kyoya simply stated

"I had to get my revenge too. I'm sorry. I just don't think I'm a supporting cast, homosexual or otherwise."

I just looked at him confused _what was he talking about? _But it didn't matter. Haruhi went off to the boys' clinic as I decided to stay with the guys until this was all finished. We suddenly heard a girl cry, apparently she was grabbed by one of the doctors who was trying to make a pass at her.

Kyoya said "I had a feeling this might happen."

We looked at him as Hunny asked "What do you mean?"

Kyoya replied "A bit earlier today, I saw a strange man wearing a white lab coat, but clearly not one of our hospital's doctors. So I thought he was a little odd."

Me and the twins frowned and asked "Shouldn't you have said something sooner?"

Kyoya defended "Oh well, it's no big deal. I'm sure the security guard will catch him."

I heard a man ask the girl "Tell me, Miss. Did you happen to notice where the pervert doctor was headed?"

The girl replied "Yes, sir, he ran off to the special boys' clinic."

The words rang in my head, we all gasped and shouted "Haruhi!" Tamaki had finally joined us and we ran to the clinic. _If anything happens to her I'll never forgive myself. _We opened the door and went over to the curtain, I opened it and saw the man holding Haruhi and covering her mouth, before I could do anything Tamaki shouted

"Haruhi! Tama-chan kick!" He kicked the man into the wal and did about 4 flips in the air without falling down.

_Ok he just casually defied all the laws of gravity. _I ran to Haruhi and held her tight, to make sure he didn't attack again. She was holding her top to her to make sure no one saw her bra. The twins, from behind us, began

"One... Good looks that attract the public eye."

Kyoya stepped in and continued "Two... More wealth than you could imagine."

Mori added "Three, chivalry that would never be able to overlook..."

Hunny also continued "the hideous wickedness of this world."

Tamaki put his shirt over Haruhi and finished "That's what makes up the Ouran host club."

Everyone stood around us and shouted in union "We're here! Watch out!"

The man panicked and begged "Please don't hurt me. Spare me my life."

Before anyone could say anything he continued "I'm a doctor. I have a small emergency medical clinic that I run in the next town over. My name is Yabu."

Hikaru asked "Did he say his name is Yabu?"

Kaoru agreed "That's crazy. What a terrible name for a doctor."

They both then finished "Unless you're quack."

I punched their arms "shut up and let him finish!"

Yabu nodded and continued "I'm here because I was hoping to see my daughter. My wife left me last month and took my daughter with her. But I know that she attends school here."

Haruhi asked Yabu "I don't mean to pry or anything. But why did your wife and daughter leave you?"

Yabu explained to us how he would always give people money and how they wouldn't always pay him back. His wife and daughter got sick of it and left him.

"And that was it. They left me for ever. I know I'm terrible at managing our money. And I can't say no to anybody. I don't blame them for being tired of constantly living in debt. But I wanted to see my daughter one more time, so I came here. After being pelted by rain and wandering the streets, I finally made it to your school. Once I entered, I was mistaken for a doctor here to examine students."

Hikaru stated "Well of course. You're wearing a lab coat."

Kaoru added "Anyone would mistake you."

Yabu cried "And then it happened. When I tried to ask her about my daughter, the girl started screaming and before I knew it, there were all kinds of people chasing me!"

By this point Tamaki was in tears like the baby he is. Kyoya looked at Yabu and calmly asked

"Doctor Yabu, I think you may have the wrong place. Are you looking for Ourin public high school?"

Yabu nodded "Yeah, that's right."

"I figured out that might be the case. This is Ouran academy, a private institution. Your daughter doesn't go to school here."

Woah! Poor guy, that's a bummer. Hunny said to Kyoya

"Wow, Kyo-chan, I'm impressed that you figured out he had the wrong school."

Kyoya simply replied "Well, there's no way the daughter of such a small time doctor would ever be able to get into Ouran academy."

_Trust him to notice that..._

Tamaki knelt down to Yabu and said

"Kyoya, would you please find a map of all the public school in this area? I'd like to help this man find his daughter."

Haruhi and I looked at him and Kyoya just smiled

"Whatever you say." He got a map and handed it to Yabu, he thanked us and left the building without being caught. We watched him from out of the window,

Hikaru asked "Are you sure about this?"

Kaoru added "After all, even if he does manage to find his daughter, there is no guarantee she'll wanna speak to him."

They did have a point, but Tamaki wisely replied "Well then, that's something he'll have to find out for himself."

Haruhi sighed and said "I'm sorry about this, you guys, but could you please leave?"

We all looked at her as Tamaki began to panic "Haruhi, are you still angry with me? You're not thinking of quitting the host club, are you?"

Haruhi laughed "Don't be stupid, senpai. I've just gotta finish my physical exam, as a male student, of course. Uh, but let me explain. I'm not doing this because you're bribing me with food. I'm doing it to pay back my debt."

Tamki smiled and grabbed Haruhi to hug her "You're so cute, Haruhi! I can see right through you. I know you're just after that fancy tuna. But it's so cute that you're pretending..."

Haruhi shouted from the hug of death "Cut it out, senpai. Rude. Hey, don't touch me there."

The twins shouted "Red card!"

Hikaru began "Looks like Tamaki senpai..."

Kaoru finished "...is the real pervert."

Haruhi continued shouting "Who cares? Would you guys just get out of here?!"

I laughed and grabbed Tamaki away from Haruhi, I dragged him outside as everyone followed. About 10 minutes later she came out in her boys uniform and smiled. I looked at Tamaki and smiled _you know, he may be an idiot...but he has a heart of gold._

**A/N: Yes I** **got another chapter out for you :) As school is going to keep me occupied for most of the time I might only be able to give a new chapter at the weekends. Oh btw I have a favor to ask...if anyone reading this would like to make a picture for this story then please inbox me. I would really like a cover for this story. Thank you for your lovely reviews and I hope you enjoyed it :D**_  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Oh Tamaki. My dearest Tamaki, why are you so beautiful?"

"I'm hoping to catch your eye even if it's just one second."

"Then why is your voice so very sweet and mellow?"

"To set your nerves at ease, so that my true feelings might reach your heart."

"Why are your eyes filled with tears every time you look at me?"

"Because the side of your beautiful smile causes the fountain inside of me to start overflowing."

I can't take it anymore! I'm in the emo corner...trying to get away from to over exposure to corny pick up lines! I hugged my knees and rocked back and forth. _What have I done to deserve this? _It was cosplay day and our theme was a traditional Japanese thing. I was wearing a Kimono along with every other host, I was hoping to stay there for the rest of the day...but Haruhi found me and dragged me out.

"If I have to go through with this you do to."

I tried to pull myself back but with no luck. I sighed and went back to being the waitress, in a kimono! _Just an hour left and then I can go home. _I found the twins and saw them with some girls.

"I think it's adorable that you're wearing matching kimonos."

"Our mother designed everything the hosts are wearing today. If you see something you like, we can take our order for you."Hikaru stated.

_So you're the culprits behind all of this! You shall pay for this..._

My thought were interrupted by Karou who said

"Our grandmother even helped us put them on."

Hikaru pulled his brother close to him and whispered seductivly "But you know the only one who will be undressing you with me, Kaoru."

Kaoru blushed "Hikaru, you're embarrassing me, in front of everybody."

_I knew they were going to do that! I just knew it! _

I decided to find a normal person to stay with...and by normal I meant Haruhi. I sat down with her as two girls came over and said

"Haruhi! You look so cute in your kimono."

"Almost like a girl."

Haruhi blankly replied "Thanks."

Suddenly the voice of Kyoya mad eme jump out of my skin.

"Haruhi, you've booked another appointment. It seems you had a pretty steady flow of new customers lately. Keep up the good work. I'm not going to charge you interest on your debt like I normally would. So keep this up, and you should be able to pay it off, although the rental fee on that kimono you're wearing is nothing to sneeze at."

Haruhi whispered to me "He is like some kind of heartless tax collector..."

I nodded as the girls gazed at him

"Hello Kyoya, I can't get over how great you look in that kimono. Are you planning to release any more picture books of the host club?"

Kyoya smiled "Unfortunately, we don't have anything planned presently, ladies."

Hikaru popped up and began "But doesn't the club make a lot of money?"

Kaoru came up and finished "From the sale of promotional items?"

Kyoya turned to them "That's true. But the items were poor quality. Those picture books were full of nothing but amateur hidden camera shots. However, if we want to create some higher-quality, money-making products, I'm afraid we have to draw money from the school budget."

_If it wasn't for Kyoya, the host club would spiral into the depths of bankruptcy. _

Suddenly I heard the cry of Hunny "Haru-chan, Mari-chan, I don't know how, but I have lost one of my sandals."

Haruhi bent down to him and asked "But you were just wearing them, weren't you?"

Mori, who had just popped up, said "Mitsukuni."

He grabbed Hunny's foot and put the missing sandal. Mori looked at him and said "I noticed that you dropped it."

Hunny cried and hugged Mori. While the girls looked at them all I could think about was that Mori had actually spoken! While in my daydream I bumped into Hikaru and something fell out of his sleve. I picked it up and asked

"what's this?" The twins stood next to me as Hikaru said

"For your information, it's common for a host to use eye drops."

"No woman alive can resist a man on the blink of tears." Kaoru smiled.

_Well I can...and that must have been how they have been able to cry so easily. _

I sighed as Haruhi stated "That's cheating."

Hikaru nuzzled her head "Oh, don't be such a party-pooper."

Kaoru held something in his hand and gave it to Haruhi "Here, Haruhi. This is for you."

I looked at it and it was a sweet, that looked like a peach. A girl came up to Haruhi and asked

"I didn't know you liked sweets, Haruhi."

Haruhi stammered "Oh, to be honest with you, I don't really. But, you know, I think it would be a nice memorial offering for my mother."

All the girls swooned as Tamaki rushed over...bringing his ego with him.

"How admirable of you! Such devotion to your mother's memory. Please, Haruhi, take as many as you like."

Haruhi just looked at him unimpressed "Let me guess. The tears are fake."

Tamaki gasped "How could you? My tears are always genuine, Haruhi. Being able to cry without the use of eye drops is the mark of a true host. Tell me. Do I impress you? Have you fallen for me yet?"

_Pffft he wishes. _

I looked at the door and saw a girl looking in, she was trying to hide herself but still wanted to look in. Everyone else noticed as the twins said in unison

"Looks like the host club has a brand-new guest."

They gracefully went to the door as Kaoru held a rose to her "Come on in. What are you waiting for?"

Hikaru continued "Watching from afar is no fun."

They both finished "Please, Miss."

Tamaki stood in front of them and said "Stop that. How many times do I have to tell you, boys to be more courteous to our first-time guests. Please, you don't have to be afraid, my princess. I welcome you to the Ouran host club. Yes?"

The girl pushed him away and screamed "No! Don't touch me, you phony!"

Tamaki stumbled back and looked at her in horror "What do you mean? I'm phony?"

She pointed at him and said with authority "Just what I said. You're phony. I find it hard to believe that someone like you is the prince character of this host club! You shouldn't go spreading your love around so easily like that you're stupid! You must be a dim-witted narcissist! You're incompetent! You're a commoner. You're disgusting."

_Has it happened? Has the heavens smiled upon me today? Finally! A girl who hasn't fallen for his charms! Oh thank you lord thank you! _

By this point Tamaki had fallen to the floor. Kyoya, who had been simply observing the entire time, asked

"I don't suppose you are..."

The girl cried and ran to him "It's you, Kyoya. Oh, I've longed to meet you. My one and only prince charming."

* * *

The club finished about an hour later as we sat down on the sofa's with the girl as she started explaining why she was here.

"You're fiancee?"

"Kyoya senpai?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked.

The girl replied "Of course. My name is Renge Hoshakuji. I'm transferring into Ouran academy's 1st-year class A tomorrow."

We all turned around and saw Tamaki in his emo corner, growing mushrooms for some reason. Hikaru asked

"Why is he sulking?"

Kaoru replied teasingly "Because mommy was keeping a secret from daddy."

Kyoya rolled his eyes and shook his head "Whatever. Why does everyone insist on referring to us like husband and wife?"

Renge had completly ignored the sulking Tamaki as she continued "Ours is the story of love at first sight. I couldn't resist the way you were adoring those flowers at back yard when you thought no one else was looking. And how sweet it was of you to reach out to that poor little injured kitten."

Hikaru and Kaoru just looked at her confused "She's serious?"

Me and Haruhi were just as confused, so Haruhi asked Renge "Could you have the wrong person?"

Renge shouted "No way! I could recognize my love anywhere. He's a gentleman who is kind to everyone and doesn't ask for anything in return. He likes solitude, but in fact sometimes he gets lonely. He looks like the star of the popular dating sim, Uki-doki Memorial. You're my real life Ichijo Miyabi."

She finished while pointing at Kyoya, and by this point we were all beyod confused. We kept on asking each other if this is the right Kyoya she's talking about? I mean...he's called the shadow king for god sake! Kyoya, who was just casually chilling on the sofa, said

"I get it now. You're in love with that character. You're projecting the love onto me, and you somehow deluded yourself that you're thinking we're engaged. I assume this Miyabi character probably wears glasses as well."

We all surrounded him as Tamaki asked "So, she made it up. You're not really her fiance, right?"

Kyoya replied "No, I don't remember ever asking for her hand in marriage. Besides this is the first time I've ever met the woman."

_Well why didn't you tell us that before?! _

Renge sat next to Kyoya and stated "According to my research, I understand that you are in charge managing the club. Is that true, Kyoya?"

Hunny hugged his bunny and said "That's right. Kyo-chan is our director."

Renge sighed and gazed into the distance "You are the club director. That's perfect. I've always wanted to wear a sandwich board to advertise a business."

Hikaru and Kaoru stated "We don't advertise. We're just a host club."

Renge completly ignored them and shouted "I've made up my mind. From now on, I'm to be the manager of this host club."

Tamaki went behind Kyoya and started "Listen, Kyoya."

But Kyoya interupted "Miss Hoshokuji is the only daughter of a very important Otori family client. So, please be polite and try not to offend her, all right?"

Renge looked at us and smiled "Well, boys, I can't wait to work with you." _Well _ _this should be fun..._

* * *

The next day arrived quickly and all of the host club members were sitting at the sofa area, Tamaki then said to us

"I thought about it a lot last night, and maybe having a lady manager isn't such a bad idea."

Hikaru and Kaoru asked "Why do you say that?"

"Well, it's fairly obvious, isn't it? Renge just transferred into the same class as Haruhi. So if Haruhi has a girl friend around, it could bring up female within her. Renge's girlish air of tenderness might be able to stimulate haruhi's own sense of femininity."

I was just about tio argue when he continued "Now is our change to help Haruhi get in touch with feminine side. This is an important project, men. She doesn't have any friends in class right now except for these two shady twins. That's not good for her."

Right that's it! I looked at Tamaki and growled "what am I? Invisible? I'm Haruhi's best friend...and I'm a girl! So are you saying I'm no good for her?"

Tamaki looked at me rather frightened as the twins were snickering. Tamaki stuttered

"I-it's not that, you're a great friend to my little girl. You're my little girl to but you don't encourage Haruhi to get in touch with her feminine side."

I looked at him and smirked evily "you're digging yourself a hole here blondie...you better be careful from now on."

Tamaki gulped as the door opened and Renge walked in. She happily said

"Hey, everyone. You'd be happy to know that your new manager, Renge has baked all of you some cookies."

Tamaki, who was more than grateful that she arrived, shouted "Oh, isn't she lady-like? I'm so moved by your generosity."

Renge just looked at him unimpressed "I didn't bake these cookies for you, you phony prince."

Tamaki gasped and went to his emo corner.

_Man this girl is getting better and better. _

But then she had to turn all girly and flirt with Kyoya

"Oh sorry, I burnt them a little bit. I did the best I could. And I already know what you're going to say. Oh, you're always so sweet to me, Kyoya."

Hunny had tried one of the cookies and stated "She wasn't kidding these cookies really are burnt."

Mori, who is speaking more than usual, said "Don't eat that, Mitsukuni. It's bad for you."

All of a sudden Renge chased after them...while looking like Medusa? Poor Hunny was crying

"waaah she's scaring me!"

I sighed and went to Haruhi who had the cookies. I grabbed one as she did to, we both took a bite and we said

"They're not that bad at all. They've got a good flavor to them."

Hikaru lifted Haruhi's chin and asked "May I try?"

And while she had the cookie in her mouth...he took a bite of it! I was going to scream but Kaoru came up to me and whispered

"Oh oh, Maria, you've got crumbs on your face." He came close to me...and licked the crumbs off my face! Tamaki had realised what they were doing and started screaming

"Did you see what they just did it?"

Kyoya had just blinked and calmly said "And suddenly, the group of classmates are closer than they've ever been before."

I looked at Kaoru and rubbed my cheek "You know, you could just told me and I would wipe it off."

Haruhi nodded and looked at Hikaru "And if you wanted to try one, they're plenty here."

Tamaki grabbed both of us and screamed "That's not the way you're supposed to react. You have to stay strong and reject them, then casually brush them to the side. Do you understand?"

We just looked at him and said in unsion "This is sexual harassment, senpai."

Tamaki went wide eyed and shouted even louder "Sexual harassment? If that counts as sexual harassment, then they're twice as guilty! Someone, call the police."

Hikaru and Kaoru raised their hands in defense "Cut it out, boss. We're sorry."

As they continued arguing me and Haruhi casually started sliding away...but we were stopped by Renge's shouting.

"Every single one of you except for Kyoya, all of your characters are lukewarm. Each of you needs to have some sort of dark side. You understand? Girls are vulnerable to handsome young men who are troubled.

If you keep carrying on like this, it's only a matter of time before the girls get tired of you and stop coming all together. Are you trying to ruin my precious Kyoya's business?

As your manager, it's my duty to change your character backgrounds. Let's start with you! If all you are is cute, inside and out, then you're no different to a baby. Therefore, from now on, you are the baby faced thug.

And Mori sepnai, you are his childhood-friend flunky. The twins will be basket player who is slaved in their own world. Haruhi, you're an honor student who's constantly being bullied.

Maria, you're the pretty new girl who is constantly harrased by boys and always needs saving, the damsel in distress.

And as for you, Tamaki, you're the school idol who's admired for your good looks but you actually have an inferiority complex you're hiding from the world. The lonely prince."

Tamaki gasped as we all did._Why am I the damsel in distress? No fair! I wanna be a kick ass ninja or something! _

And of course Renge just sighed dreamily to Kyoya "Oh, Kyoya, you're perfect just the way you are now. So I want you to stay as kind and affectionate as ever, 'kay?"

Kyoya put his hand to his chest and replied "Thank you, I'm honored."

Suddenly there was a spotlight on Tamaki...for some unknown reason as he said "The lonely prince. It's true. That title is perfect for me." 7

Haruhi looked of to somewhere, as if she was talking to someone "Yeah, right. She couldn't be farther from the truth."

_Great now she's started talking to invisible people. _

Hikaru and Kaoru pulled Kyoya away from Renge and whispered "Come on, Kyoya senpai."

"You've gotta do something."

Kyoya shrugged "Why? It seems like the boss is up for it."

We all looked at Tamaki who was posing and said "How does this look, Renge? Do you think these poses work for a lonely prince?"

Renge clasped her hands together and praised "Oh well, you're pretty good Tamaki. But you know it would be even more effective if you were standing in rain."

I walked over to Kyoya and tapped his shoulder

"come on, surely this has gone a bit too far."

Kyoya grinned "Let's just wait to see how things turn out. I bet it will be interesting. It always is."

* * *

The next day was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and it was rather warm...but I was soaking wet from the movie that was being shot! Renge had decided to show off our new personalities by shooting a movie about us. I couldn't stop thinking about my scenario. In the script I'm in the school showers all alone, then some bullies come in and pin me against the wall trying to seduce me. And all I do is cry for help like a proper damsel in distress. I shook my head trying to get the idea out of it, I was sitting in a chair used in the movies as I saw Hunny crying to Haruhi

"So sorry, Haru-chan! I can't do this any more!" Renge looked like Medusa again and screamed

"Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut! What's wrong with you? You got to stick to the script. Stop rolling, camera man."

"Yes, boss."

"I want the rain to make things seem tragic."

The man, who was using a hose as rain, stopped it and Haruhi came to me with a towel in hand. Hikaru and Kaoru were sitting either side of me as Hikaru asked

"How'd it go from changing our characters to shooting a movie about them?"

Haruhi continued "And why is there an entire film crew here to shoot it?"

Kyoya looked up from his black notebook and said "Apparently, she flew them in from Hollywood. Don't you recognize the director? He directed the vampire movie, Millennial Snow. It was the No. 1 grossing box-office hit in America last year."

_Damn these rich people. _

Hikaru looked at the script and asked "And another thing, how come this stupid script portrays Kaoru as the pitcher?" Kaoru agreed as me and Haruhi asked

"What does that mean?"

The twins looked at us and said "If you don't now, never mind."

I just shook my head and gave Haruhi my seat, it was going to be my scene soon...I was dreading it. I was called on as I was told to get undressed.

"You want me naked? Forget it!"

The director looked at me and begged "come on darling it won't be for long, no one will be able to see youe body because were going to cover it up with steam."

I rolled my eyes "and what about the thugs who walk in and harrass me?"

He didn't say anything and as I was about to protest I heard a clang and a scream. I ran towards to sound and saw Haruhi on the ground next to Renge.

"Are you okay, Haruhi?"

Haruhi looked at Renge and said "That guy was right, Renge. You can't do that. If you judge people by their appearance you're stereotyping, then you'll never see the person inside."

I looked at the two boys who were standing there, bewildered. They had this harsh look about them and I'm guessing Renge stereotyped them to think they were part of a gang or something. As I figured out what had happened Tamaki came up next to me and shouted

"What happened, Haruhi?"

He looked at Haruhi who had tears in her eyes. He growled and pinned one of the boys against the wall

"So, which one of you jerks started this?"

The other boy panicked "Wait, Suou! It's not what you think. That girl started it. She was giving us a hard time."

Haruhi got up and defended them "He's telling the truth, senpai. It wasn't their fault. They were provoked."

Tamaki let go of the man as they ran away. He cupped Haruhi's head into his hands and asked

"Haruhi, are you in any pain?"

Haruhi rubbed her eye and said "Yeah, it's my contact."

Tamaki questioned "Your contact?"

Haruhi smiled "Yeah, I guess it must've slipped out."

Tamaki looked at her and laughed "I see how it is. You're able to cry without using eye drops. So, you're a full-fledged host now."

I chuckled as Renge shouted "You, you, please tell me you got that, Camera man."

The film crew behind us gave her a thumbs up.

_Wait a minute when did they start filming that? _

Renge continued "Other than Haruhi's contact falling out, that was an ideal final scene! All it needs now is a moving narration by my sweet Kyoya."

Just then Kyoya walked over and smashed the camera with a rock. The film crew gasped

"What'd you do to my camera?"

Renge looked at Kyoya and asked "Why? Is something wrong?"

Kyoya looked at Renge and put the rock down "I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot allow there to be any record of a club member engaging in violence. I think it caused enough trouble around here, Renge. Please stop being such a pest."

_Woah...that's a bit harsh. _I looked at Renge who had tears in her eyes.

"A pest. But you're supposed to pat me on the head and told me not to worry. You're supposed to be kind and affectionate, Kyoya. Why are you acting so differently now? Tell me why." Tears fell down her face as Tamaki stated

"Because that's not the real Kyoya."

Renge turned around to face us and fell to her knees and started crying. Haruhi knelt down to her and said

"Does it really matter? Who cares if Kyoya is a little different than you expected him to be. Take a good look at the person inside and get to know him little by little. It's a lot more fun that way."

She looked at Haruhi and continued to cry, I walked over to Kyoya and said

"surely you could have been a bit easier on her."

He looked at me and shook hsi head "if I didn't call her a pest...then she would never have known the real me."

He was right of course, he wasn't the perfect prince charming that Renge had hoped for. I went over to Renge and helped her up.

"I know you were expecting Kyoya to be the perfect guy you feel in love with in that game, but no one is perfect. We are all unique and there is a guy out there who is pefect for you. You just haven't met him yet."

She hugged me and said "you're so nice to me, why would you do that?"

I chuckled "because no one deserves to be unhappy."

I took her away and got her calm, we finished the movie everyone went home. Haruhi went home already because they shot my scene last. I got dressed into my normal clothes and when I got out of the changing rooms Kyoya was leaning against the wall waiting for me.

"Kyoya, what are you still doing here? I thought you would have gone home first."

He walked over to me and asked "there's something that I wanted to ask. Did you mean what you said to Renge? That no one deserves to be unhappy?"

Although I was a bit confused of why he was asking I replied "well yes I did. Even though she did get on my nerves a bit with this changing characters and shooting a movie business. She's not a bad person, she's kind at heart and I just hate seeing people unhappy."

He looked at me a bit dumbfounded and chuckled "you're a wonderful woman Maria." I blushed a little as Kyoya suddenly remembered.

"Oh by the way would you like a lift home?"

I panicked and hastily replied "oh no thanks! I'm not that far from here I'll be fine. Well see you on Monday bye!"

I ran off before he could say anything. _I can't let him know...none of them can. The only one I can trust is Haruhi. _

* * *

On Monday after school the host club welcomes their guests. They all shouted that they bought the DVD of all of us.

"I love the lonely prince."

"And the loving relationship between Hikaru and Kaoru was so sweet."

"I want to see Honey acting like a thug again."

"And Haruhi's poignant expression."

"And Maria looked so pretty as the damsel, she's so luckly to always be around the guys."

Tamaki looked at Kyoya and questioned what was going on. Kyoya simply replied

"I may have broken the camera's lens, but the footage that we had already shot wasn't damaged. Naturally, I did cut out that one violent scene. Sales have been pretty good so far. That Hollywood film crew did a fantastic job. But I guess that's to be expected."

Hikaru and Kaoru asked "So, is this what you meant by interesting?"

Kyoya looked up from his black notebook "It's best to have as much money as we can in the club's budget."

Haruhi whispered to me "And just when did he start calculating all of this?" I shrugged, knowing him he probably did it as soon as Renge appeared.

And speak on the devil Renge came in and said "Good day, everyone."

We all turned to look at her as Tamaki asked "Renge? But I thought you've gone back to France already."

Renge sighed and grabbed Haruhi's hands "I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner. It was so chivalrous of you to risk your life to protect me. I can feel the love when you lectured me about judging people. When you said it was fun to get to know people little by little, you were talking about me."

Haruhi just blinked and said "Yeah..."

Renge pulled Haruhi by the arm and yelled "Come on, Haruhi. Let's go to my house and play some games together. I think it's time you got to know me better."

Hikaru looked at Kyoya and began "Hey, Kyoya senpai."

"You okay with that?" Kaoru finished.

Kyoya simply shrugged "Why wouldn't I be? Everything Renge said is true."

Tamaki popped up and screamed "No, it isn't."

Kyoya chuckled "But I thought you are the one who wanted her to have a female friend in the first place."

Tamaki screamed "Oh, yeah female companion. Not a girlfriend!"

Renge continued to pull Haruhi away as Tamaki ran after them crying "No, wait. Don't take Haruhi from me."

I laughed and looked at Kyoya, remembering about his offer to take me home. I wish I just had the courage to tell the guys about me...and my life.

**A/N: Oooo a cliffhanger! I have decided to hint about Maria's home life...but of course it won't be given away so easily. Mwahahahaha! I of course have planned when you find out what her home life is like. And because I'm so nice, I'll tell you that I'm going to make my own part of the story which is linked into episode 10. But that's all I'm saying to you. Anyway I hope you liked it and I love you all! Bye bye :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chaper 5**

Another day of the Ouran Host club...I was beginning to believe that I would never be able to bay back my half of the debt. I walked around the club in my maid outfit again, serving drinks and refreshments to the guests. Haruhi was with me as she had no customers at the moment.

"Maria, how's home? Is eveything ok?"

I stopped and looked at her. "We're managing, remember I work as a waitress and a peformer at the weekends so I'm making some money."

Before Haruhi could reply we heard the twins with their customers.

"Let's all play the 'which one is Hikaru?' game."

The girls applauded as the twins continued "So, can you tell which one of us is Hikaru?"

The girls looked at them and confessed "Well, it's hard to say."

"You are identical."

Hikaru and Kaoru grinned "Many ladies have tried to tell us apart, but so far none have succeeded."

Haruhi and I walked past as Haruhi said "That's the dumbest game I've ever heard of."

"Me to." I nodded in agreement.

The twins looked at us "What? Have you got a problem with it?"

We turned to face them as Haruhi replied "Not really. I just don't understand why the two of you are so popular."

I nodded as the twins moaned "That's not very nice."

Hikaru began "I'm disappointed."

Kaoru continued "Apparently, you don't understand the merits of having a pair of twins as members of the host club."

"Listen up. Having a couple of good-looking guys with homosexual tendencies earns the club high points. It also helps that the two struggle between their attraction and their friendship." Hikaru explained.

Kaoru continued "And in our case, because we're twins, our relationship is taboo and therefore more intriguing."

Suddenly Hikaru went over to a girl who was sitting down and pulled her close by the chin "And besides, who hasn't fantasized about twins? Having two loves is better than one? Don't you think?"

Kaoru came over and pulled the girl close as well "It's a young woman's romantic fantasy."

The girl squealed "Well, uh, yeah, you're right. I can't take it!"

The twin gave us smug looks as we heard the angry shout of Tamaki.

"Hikaru, Kaoru! When I gave you control of the club's website, I did it so on one condition that you take it seriously."

Hikaru looked at Tamaki "We take our job very seriously, boss."

"In fact, last night we worked on it till dawn." Kaoru stated.

Tamaki opened up the laptop that he was holding and shouted "Is this what you worked so hard to create?"

I looked at the screen and saw Haruhi...with a man's body?! She looked great but that's not her body. Everyone came over to look at the picture as Hunny said "You look great, Haru-chan."

I looked at Haruhi and laughed "when did you do this?"

Haruhi growled "I never did!"

Kyoya grabbed the laptop and smiled "don't get too confident Maria...there's one on here of you to."

My eyes widened as I looked at the picture...I was sitting on one of the host club's sofas wearing a beautiful gown.

Hunny smiled "you look so pretty Mari-chan!"

Haruhi looked at me and grinned "so, when did you have this done?"

I stuttered "I-I never posed for that picture!"

I suddenly heard the cry of Tamaki...he was probably imaganing the twins taking pictures of us.

Just then the twins said "You're imagining things."

Hikaru stated "It's obvious that the photos have been altered."

Tamaki stopped crying and looked at them "It was photoshopped?"

Hikaru grinned "We did a pretty good job, huh?"

Kaoru added "We've got some major photoshopping talent."

_Well that explains that...I'm gonna have to kill them later I can't believe they did that! _

I stood in the emo corner with Haruhi as Tamaki yelled "You idiots! That's a waste of your skills! Have you no shame? But if you are going to do it anyway, can you photoshop Haruhi into this idol photo book?"

_Say what? _

I didn't even want to turn around as I heard Hikaru say "Don't be ridiculous, boss. Why don't you just..."

"ask her if she'd wear an outfit like one of those?" Kaoru finished.

I didn't hear what Tamaki said after as I just zoned out but I saw a dress behind Haruhi...being held by none other than Tamaki.

"What are you doing with that dress?" Hunny asked.

_That's what I wanna know. _

I heard the girls as they looked at Haruhi's photo.

"He looks so handsome."

"Yeah, he does, but I have to agree with Tamaki. I'd love to see what Haruhi would look like if he dressed as a girl."

"Oh, he's so cute. I'm sure he'd look great no matter what he put on."

Me and Haruhi turned around to Tamaki and gave him an evil glare, causing him to shuffle away. We then looked at the twins as Haruhi said

"Now, cut it out. No more making weird pictures of us. You got that? Just what do you guys take us for, anyway?"

Hikaru and Kaoru grinned "Isn't that obvious? You're our Toy."

_We're their what?!_

"As we were saying, in order to entertain oneself in the otherwise boring life," Hikaru began

"one must find himself stimulating toys." Kaoru finished.

I am not someone's toy and neither is Haruhi. I yelled "We am not your toys! Okay?"

Just then a creepy voice come out from behind a black door and a hooded boy said to us "You want a toy? Toys... toys... If you like toys, then you should come visit my black magic club. We've opened a marketplace that boosts black magic items from across the globe. We're also holding mass around the clock. If you visit right now, I'll even throw in a free curse doll. You can have Belzenef as your free gift."

Haruhi just turned to me and said "Why is he talking to us through a crack in the door?"

I shrugged as the twins stated "Wait a second. Has that door always been there?"

_Now that I think about it that door hasn't always been there... _

Kyoya then popped up out of nowhere which made me jump "Nekozawa senpai likes to hide. He doesn't really care for brightly-lit places."

I looked at him "you've gotta stop doing that! You keep on making me jump with your sneaking around."

He just grinned as Tamaki came over to me and Haruhi "Don't get involved with that guy you two. If you do, you'll end up being cursed."

Haruhi looked at him nervously "Do you have any basis for that?"

Now I wasn't one to believe in curses and ghosts and what-not but I listened to Tamaki's story anyway.

"Yes. It happened during final exam at the end of the last school year. Oh, it's terrifying just to talk about it. On that fateful day, I accidentally stepped on that weirdo Nekozawa's cursed doll, Belzenef. Afterward, I took my exam and entire test was written in some strange lettering. I looked at the others around me for help and I realized I knew none of them. I was all alone in a different dimension."

Hunny started crying "Scary!"

I picked Hunny up (cause he was that small) and hugged him "there's nothing to be scared of Hunny, I'm sure there's an explanation for this."

Just then Kyoya proved my point "That only happened because you were so scared you accidentally walked into the beginning Greek class and took their exam."

I smirked in triumph and Tamaki yelled "No! It was a curse! I know because three days later, I woke up and my legs were as heavy as lead! Just how do you explain that?"

Kyoya calmly replied "Your legs were heavy because you ran a marathon the day before, remember?"

I put Hunny down and smiled "see there was nothing to be afraid of."

Nekozawa suddenly popped up behind me and spun me around to face him "You shouldn't underestimate the dark powers of Berzenef, the curse doll. All you have to do is write the name of someone you hate on his back, then that person is certain to come face to face with misfortune."

"No thanks" I bluntly replied.

He was going to try and persuade me but a bright torch light shone in his face, curtosy of the twins. He screamed "You murderers!" Before running back behind the black door.

_And that was another WTF moment._

Tamaki screamed to the twins "How on earth could you do such a thing? Obviously the two of you don't know the true terror of black magic."

They ignored him as Hikaru yawned "I am so bored."

Kaoru complained "Isn't there anything fun we can do around here?"

Tamaki went into his emo corner and whined "My dignity as the club's leader is being ignored."

_Well I'm not suprised...you're the one that believes in that black magic crap. _

Me and Haruhi went back to serving drinks as the twins asked "Hey, Haruhi, we've got a favor to ask you."

She turned to them "What is it?"

Hikaru began "The next time we get a day off..."

"can we come over here to your place to hang out?" Kaoru finished.

Haruhi looked at them puzzled "Why would you want to do that?"

"We're curious. We want to see where you live." The twins said.

But Haruhi just shook her head "No way."

"Oh, pretty please." They begged but Haruhi wasn't giving in

"No way. You guys are just gonna make fun of me."

The twins then turned to me and asked "can we come over to your place then Maria?"

I instantly froze and knew I couldn't let them see how I live. "Not a chance"I replied.

"No matter how much we beg you?" They whined.

Tamaki then emerged from his emo corner and said "I too have been thinking that it's about time I pay my respects to our beloved Haruhi and Maria's families."

Haruhi and I just quickly said "No way in hell, senpai."

Which made him go back into his emo corner. The twins came up behind us with their green hats on and said

"We can settle this with a game. If you can't pick up which one of us is Hikaru, then your penalty will be the two of us coming over to your house later tonight."

They moved around to try and confuse us. Then they stopped and said "Okay, so which one of us is Hikaru?"

Haruhi pointed "This one's Kaoru. This one's Hikaru."

The twins shouted "Oh oh, you got it wrong."

Haruhi knew she was right and I did as well, so I said "No, evem I know she's right. You guys may look alike. But you're very different."

They stared at is for a moment as a group of girl surrounded us and asked "How did you do that? Whenever they wear those hats to cover which way they part their hair, it's practically impossible to try and figure out which twin is Hikaru and which one is Kaoru."

"How can you tell them apart?"

Haruhi put her hand to her chin and said "Hmmm, how do I put it? It's kind of difficult to explain, but Hikaru's speech and actions make him come across a little more mischievous than Kaoru."

I nodded in agreement. I could hear Kaoru laughing behind me

"I'm Sorry, Hikaru. I don't mean to laugh." He continued laughing as Hikaru said

"Well, I don't see why it's so funny. I'm honest. I speak my mind, and I don't hold back. It's sneaky people like Kaoru who are the trouble makers."

_I have a feeling this isn't gonna end well. _

Kaoru stopped laughing and glared at Hikaru "Don't turn this on me, Hikaru. After all, I'm the one who's always going along with all of your selfish games."

Hikaru argued "I may suggest them, but you are the one who really gets into them, Kaoru. If you hate it so much, then why don't you just stop?"

"Because I hate to see you make an ass of yourself in front of everyone. It was your idea that call Haruhi our toy, but I noticed you were quick to make a pass at her. Admit it, Hikaru. You're actually in love with Haruhi, aren't you?"

_What did Kaoru just say?! There's no way... _

Tamaki was also shocked. Hikaru gasped slightly and replied "You've got it all wrong, Kaoru! Man, you're such a freaking idiot."

Tamaki cried "Yeah, there are some things in this world you must never be said."

Hikaru ignored Tamaki and continued "Why would I fall for her? I mean, she looks like a tanuki."

Tamaki screamed "How dare you call her a raccoon dog! You're gonna pay for that!"

But Hikaru wasn't done there "Besides you're one to talk Kaoru, you also suggested calling Maria our toy and whenever we're with her your always flirting with her...you're in love with Maria aren't you?"

_What?! If I had a drink in my mouth right now it would be halfway across the room. Kaoru doesn't flirt with me...does he? _

Kaoru growled "Shut up Hikaru!"

Just then a familiar voice come from underneath "Awesome, this is just perfect. "

Renge then popped up from under us on a giant machine. She went on to say something but I didn't pay attention...I wanted to know where that machine came from. The twins just looked at Renge and blankly said

"Oh, butt out, otaku."

Renge pouted "You guys are mean. You shouldn't say something like that to your manager."

Tamaki looked at Renge and asked "But, Renge, I thought you had a feeling for Haruhi, as well."

Renge smiled "Oh, I do. But, I have no problem with Haruhi having a homosexual relationships on the side."

_Oh yeah Renge doesn't know that's Haruhi's a girl...I wonder why? _

Haruhi bent down to her and asked "I'm confused. I thought you decided to go back home to France, Renge."

Renge blushed "Well, I was going to start up a host club on my own, but I don't think France is ready for host club just yet."

I turned to the twins who were still fighting.

Hikaru yelled "Cut it out, already! You're the one who's always crawling into my bed. Talk about annoying."

Kaoru yelled back "I only do that because you look like lonely. I wouldn't choose to sleep in your bed, you idiot."

"Who are you calling an idiot? You're the one who sucks at math!"

"Oh yeah, well you're failing your foreign language class, you big dummy!"

"The way you grind your teeth is definitely..."

"At least I don't toss and turn so much that I fall out of bed."

"Sex pixie!"

"Sicko!"

Finally they both yelled "Your mama wears too much makeup! That's it. We're over."

_In any other case bringing someone's mother into an argument is offensive...but they have the same mother so how does that work? _

They both stormed off as we all looked at each other, wondering if they were gonna make up by tomorrow.

* * *

The next day came quickly as me and Haruhi sat in class ready to begin. Hikaru came up to us and waved

"Hey haruhi. Hey Maria Good morning."

Our eyes widened as Haruhi asked "Hikaru, what in the world happened to your hair? Why is it dyed pink?"

Hikaru smiled "Because pink suit me. Don't you think it's cute? From now on, I'm the pink haired twin. I didn't wanna be mistaken for the Kaoru for the rest of my life, you know."

Just then I looked at Kaoru who had bright blue hair. "Good morning, Haruhi and Maria."

He said. Hikary made his way to his seat as I asked Haruhi "So, Kaoru's the blue twin?"

She shrugged as Kaoru said "I was finally able to sleep all by myself last night. But I ended up having a nightmare. I dreamt that my stylist dyed my hair pink. It was so garish and ridiculous looking I woke up screaming."

_Ouch...I think we all know what his intention was._

I could see the irritation on Hikaru's face and just before Kaoru sat down Hikaru knocked his chair away causing Kaoru to fall to the floor. They both stood up and glared at each other while me and Haruhi were sat in the middle. They then started throwing everything they had at each other.

_Apparently you can through anythingat each other...including chairs and tables. _

After an eternity of awkwardness it was lunch time. "Maybe we should follow the twins to make sure they don't break anything."

I suggested to Haruhi. She nodded as we went to the hall. We got there and saw the twins trying to order lunch.

"I'll have the A lunch. No give me the B pasta and the D salad! I'll take the F cappellini with the barbarie duck! Hold on, make it a foie gras in perigueux sauce! Stop copying me! Why don't you just leave me alone?"

Haruhi just shook her head "Amazing. Perfect unison even when fighting."

We then turned to find Tamaki pointing to the twins with the others behind him "I was wondering what all the fuss was about. I can't believe the two of you're still fighting. You're a disgrace to the host club."

A boy said "Hey, look who it is."

Then some girls said "Oh, I love them."

"I've never seen all them together like that."

_They're not celebrities you know! _

Hunny come up to them with a piece of cake "We've had enough of this. You're both to blame for this fight. Hika-chan and Kao-chan, I want you to make up and go halfsies on this cake, okay? But I want to have a piece too. So I guess we're going to have to go thirdsies. We're not going to be able to split the strawberry on top, though. What should we do? Maybe I should just take it. After all, strawberry is all my favorite. Oh, I forgot to ask. Hika-chan, Kao-chan, do you like strawberries?"

Mori went over to Hunny, picked him up, and carried him away from the irritated twins "You're just making it worse. Leave them alone."

Tamaki saw Haruhi and clasped his hands together "Oh, Haruhi! How do I expect to run into you at the dinning hall?"

Kyoya came up and looked at me "this is also rare we never see you two in the dining hall, why are you here?"

I replied to them both "We were worried about those two. So, we followed them here. Haruhi and I always bring a box lunch and we were just gonna eat it in the classroom."

Tamaki's eyes widened "A boxed lunch?"

_Uh-oh...he's gonna have another fantasy about Haruhi. _

I pulled Haruhi to a table as Tamaki shouted "I don't care if my box lunch is in an embarrassing heart shape. I will eat it."

Kyoya picked up his lunch and said "I have no idea what you're talking about. But it's evident that your fantasies are completely incoherent."

I chuckled as Hikaru came up to us "Haruhi, Maria, do you wanna sit here with me?"

We agreed and Haruhi sat next to Hikaru while I sat next to Haruhi.

Hikaru looked at Haruhi's lunch and asked "So what's that? What did you bring for lunch?"

Haruhi replied "Yesterday's leftovers and rolled omelet."

Hikaru asked "You wanna switch with me? I had ordered different than Kaoru, so I ended up with stuff I don't really like."

He swappd over their lunched as Haruhi shrugged "That's fine with me."

Me and Haruhi both looked at the magnificent lunch as Haruhi took a bit and put it in her mouth. Her eyes sparkled as she dazed into her dreamland. I could heard Tamaki slide over to Hikaru and said

"Well played, Hikaru. As a reward, I'd like to trade you my lunch for your box lunch."

Hikaru shook his head "No way."

Tamaki poked "Come on, trade with me."

"Forget about it." Hikaru repeated.

Kaoru sat next to me and said "So, Maria, I bet you want to try some. How would you like to taste mine? Here."

He grabbed my chin and gestured the spoon to my mouth. I opened my mouth slightly but Hikaru came over and ate what was on the spoon.

"Quit butting in. Get lost, Kaoru."

Kaoru put the spoon down and picked up his plate of custard...and he threw it at Hikaru. But it didn't hit him...Hikaru had pulled Tamaki infront of him to avoid being hit. Hikaru let go of Tamaki as the twins threw stuff at each other again. I saw Hunny go after his rabbit as he was thrown as well, Mori went in after him and casually came back down.

_Ok then...random. _

Haruhi and I picked up our packed lunch and said "I think we're gonna go eat in the classroom after all."

So we went back to class and ate our lunch there. Haruhi told me throughout the time how amazing that lunch was.

_She's such a glutton. _

* * *

After class had finished Haruhi and I went up to the host club where Tamaki, Hunny, Mori and Kyoya were sitting at a large table in silence. The twins were nowhere to be seen so we sat with them.

Kyoya stated "Looking at the numbers, if the situation isn't resolved, I'm afraid we're going to have to stop offering our brotherly love package. We're down one pair of loving brothers. Oh, Haruhi, I just want you to know there's no reason for you to feel responsible. Even though it was your tackless comment that started the whole feud between the twins in the first place, right?"

_He does have a point...he obviously blames Haruhi for this. _

Hunny then spoke up "It's weird for Hika-chan and Kao-chan to be fighting like this. It's never happened before."

Haruhi and I looked at him "They've never fought before?"

Hunny nodded "I've known Hika-chan and Kao-chan since we were in pre-school. We weren't in the same year, so I never really got to talk to them. But I remember that they, two of them always played together."

Tamaki added "Yeah, that's true. I mean, I've only known the twin since they were in middle school, but they definitely stood out. It seemed like they kept everyone at a distance except each other. Believe it or not, they were even more warped back then. When you stop and think about it, maybe this fight is good thing for them. Maybe it means that the twins are expanding their horizons a bit. We should just leave them alone and let them work it out."

It was so weird that they had never fought before, I mean even Haruhi and I have had our disagreements but our friendship became stronger because of them. But if this really is the twins first fight, they probably need someone to tell them when it's time to give in and call it quits. And if they've never fought before, do they even know how to make up?

An hour later the twins came back in and had just finished their throwing war...with a mountain of crap behind them and Hunny sitting ontop of it. Tamaki asked in annoyance

"Don't you guys think that maybe it's time you give up all this fighting? It's driving me insane."

Hikaru glared at Tamaki "What did you say? It's driving you insane. You've gotta be kidding me. How do you think I feel right now? Every time I look in the mirror, I see his face. I'm sick and tired of constantly being mistaken for you, Kaoru! The truth is I hate your guts!"

Kaoru growled back at his brother "You took the words right out of my mouth. In fact, I hate you so much I bought this, Belzenef, the curse doll."

Tamaki gasped and backed away scared.

Kaoru continued "I'm going to complete the curse, Hikaru. I'm going to write your name on his back. From this day forward, you're going to experience nothing but misfortune and sorrow!"

That had done it for Haruhi, she went over to them and punched their heads. "You guys, knock it off. What do you think you're doing? You don't bring something like this into a petty fight. Both of you are at fault here but what's really sad is that you brought everyone else around you into your big mess! Now apologize to each other! If you don't make up right now, I'll never let you come over to my house. Have I made myself clear?"

They both looked at Haruhi and grinned "So then what you're saying, Haruhi, is that if we make up, we can come over to your place?"

They put their arms around each other and stood next to Haruhi. She looked at the back of the doll and all it said was 'blank.' I stared at it in shock.

_They tricked us! They planned the entire thing!_

Haruhi screamed at the twins high fived each other and held each other. Hikaru said to Kaoru

"I'm so sorry, Kaoru. Even though I was just following our script, I said such awful things to you. I'm not fit to be your brother."

Kaoru cried "Don't say that, Hikaru. I was so worried. I couldn't live with myself if I ever thought I had hurt you."

"Kaoru, I'll never let you go again."

"Hikaru."

Haruhi dropped the doll and fell to her hands and knees, as did Tamaki. Hunny waved his arms frantically

"You gotta be kidding. You mean you guys were faking it this whole time?"

Hikaru and Kaoru replied

"We didn't have anything else to do. We were bored."

I tightened my fists and started walking over to them. "You assholes! You tricked us to make Haruhi invite you to her house!"

The twins looked at me and laughed nervously, backing away. "It was only a joke."

I clicked my knuckles "You better start running because I'm going to break both of you in half!"

They screamed and ran away, I chased them all around the room, out the school until they got into their car and drove away. I growled and knew I would get them back tomorrow. The next day arrived and before our customers came in I went up to the twins and punched them hard on their arms.

"Ouch! That hurt!" They cried.

I smirked "well you should think next time before you pull a trick like that on us."

I walked away smiling as the girls came in. The twins played their game with them.

"Okay, it's time to play the "which one is Hikaru" game."

A girl said "I know, the twin with the pink hair is Hikaru."

The twins smiled "We have a winner!"

Another girl asked "So are you two gonna keep your wild hair color even though you've made up? It's much easier to tell the two of you apart now."

Haruhi and I walked past as we said "No it isn't."

They looked at us as I said "Today, the pink one is Kaoru, and Hikaru's the blue one. You swapped colors for today, huh?"

We smirked at the speechless twins and walked away. I stopped and realised that the twins would want to come to my house as well. I began shaking as Haruhi held my hand, knowing what I was thinking

"I won't let them into your house. Not until you're happy to let them in."

I smiled. Haruhi is really my best friend in the whole world...what would I do without her?

**A/N: Ta da! Another chapter for you sexy bunch! Thank you for reviewing, adding this to your favorites and so on. It always makes me smile :D Cyber cookies for everyone! I hope you liked it and please review if you can :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"So boss, what should our next theme be?"

"I don't know I'm trying to think!"

It was the 500th time Hikaru asked Tamaki what our theme was for today. We all got to the host club early to decide on a cosplay theme but Tamaki was having a hard time thinking. Haruhi whispered next to me

"you're pretty creative Maria, think of something before Tamaki's brain explodes."

I laughed and thought for a moment...then I snapped my fingers "Hey Tamaki! How about we do an Arabian theme?"

Tamaki looked at me and hugged me tight "oh your such a clever girl! Daddy's so proud of you! Come on everyone, we have no time to loose!"

He finally let me go and ran off with the others to sort everything out for this afternoon. I was sprawled on the floor trying to breath again, then a voice behind me laughed

"looks like you got Tamaki's hug of death."

"Not funny Haruhi." I moaned as she helped me up.

They boys came back with all the equipment for this afternoon, they gave me a costume and told me to get changed while they decorated the room. I went into the changing room and put on my Arabian themed outfit. My tummy showed at the top stopped just under my chest...I looked like princess Jasmine from Aladdin. I sighed and went back to the others. Everything was decorated perfectly and they were all dressed.

_Man these guys don't waste time. _

Tamaki sat in his chair and we all surrounded him. The door opened suddenly and we all said "Welcome to the Ouran host club."

But when we looked it was a little boy in a green uniform.

Hikaru sighed "Oh, it's just a kid."

Kaoru continued "Not only that it's just a boy."

Tamaki looked at the boy and asked "What's wrong, little boy? Did you come to my palace in search for something?"

The boy looked at Tamaki "Are you the king of this place?"

_Oh no...he said it. _

Tamaki sighed happily and asked "Come closer, lost one. What was it you just called me, little boy?"

The boy looked at him confusingly "The king."

Tamaki gasped and clasped his hands onto his cheeks. "Oh, the king! Yes, I am the king of the Ouran host club. Long live the host king!"

_Oh christ now it's gonna take another 2 hours to get him out of king mode. _

But my thoughts were interrupted by the boy who shouted "I'm an elementary 5th-year, Shiro Takaoji! I want the host club king to take me on as an apprentice."

_Errrr...what? _

Of course Tamaki accepted and not long after all the girls came flocking in. A girl, who was with Tamaki, asked

"Oh my, Tamaki, you have an apprentice?"

Tamaki replied "Yes. He's still in elementary school, but I like the fire in his eyes."

_No...you just like the fact that he calls you 'king'._

"But are you sure it's okay for such a young boy to become a host?" The girl questioned.

Tamaki saw his oppotunity and pulled her in close "Why wouldn't it be? Love has nothing to do with age. Take us for instance. Whenever I look at you, my heart starts pounding. Suddenly I feel no different than a love sick little boy."

"Oh, Tamaki." All through that Shiro was watching right up close.

I was standing with Haruhi and Kyoya and Haruhi asked "Don't you think it's weird he's making the kid observe him up close like that?"

Kyoya shifted his glasses and explained "There is a theory that people are considered more beautiful, the closer they're seems to live by that theory. Well let's leave them alone."

So I did, I walked away and served some girls drinks until I heard the girl shout as she left "Tamaki, you're an idiot!"

She ran away crying as Tamaki shouted after her

"No wait, my mermaid princess!"

_Oh wow...a customer was upset by him. _

I just decided to find out later as I continued serving everyone. But all I could hear was Shiro shouting and complaining about how weird everyone was here. From all his panicking he bumped into Haruhi

"Are you all right? I know. It's kind of hard to get used to all those weirdos around here. It took me a while to get just all those craziness. So don't freak out. I'm sure you'll get used to it."

Haruhi said trying to reassure him. But this kid was smarter than he led on and asked

"Are you a cross dresser?"

_He figured it out?! I'll give him some credit he's smart. _

Tamaki and the twins panicked and Tamaki covered Shiro's eyes

"Okay, that's enough. I think Shiro should take care of the tea for us, don't you?"

Kaoru patted Haruhi's shoulders "Wow Haruhi, you're looking extra manly today."

Hikaru laughed nervously "Now do what the boss says and let Shiro take care of that tea set. It's part of his training. You're too macho for tea sets."

_Is that really the best you can do guys? _

Haruhi gave the boy the tray "Now be careful with it. It's pretty heavy."

But as soon as she let go he dropped it! Rather than an apology he stated

"It's not my fault I dropped it. It's you fault because you're the one who made me take it in the first place."

What?! He was being far too rude for my liking! Kyoya even came over and said to poor Haruhi "Haruhi, that's another 100,000 yen."

I ran over and Shiro shouted "Hey, you should make the cross dresser do all your stupid chores! I'm not here to carry tea sets! I'm here to learn how to make women happy!"

Tamaki gritted his teeth "You won't get anywhere with that attitude. And I am not going to let you disrespect Haruhi! So put this brat in isolation!"

Hikaru and Kaoru saluted "You got it, boss."

All of a sudden a giant cage fell from the ceiling and landed on Shiro, trapping him in the cage.

Shiro struggled against the bars "What's going on here!? Why'd you put me in a cage all of a sudden!?"

I whispered to Haruhi "Yeah, where did it come from? This is supposed to be a music room, right?"

Haruhi just shrugged as Shiro continued shouting and struggling "This is no way to treat your loyal apprentice! Now let me out of this cage!"

Tamaki just casually sat in his chair and sipped his tea "Not until you've learned your lesson. I made you my apprentice because I thought you were serious about becoming a host, but I guess I was wrong."

Shiro shouted "I am serious! Totally serious!"

He fell to his knees and whimpered "I want you to teach me how to make a woman happy. I'm gonna run out of time. Please won't you teach me? You're a host because you like girls. You like bringing smile to a girl's face. That's why you do it, right? Please won't you teach me to be like you. You're a genius at it! You're the king!"

Tamaki looked at him with happy eyes and said "Well, you may be a brat, but I admire your desire to become a host, so I'll teach you. You know, Shiro, you and I are so much alike."

Haruhi and I whispered "You poor kid."

Shiro's face lit up "Then, you'll help me become the kind of host that can make any women happy?"

Tamaki smiled "Of course. Making a woman happy is the soul purpose of being host. If this is what you really want, Shiro, then you have to figure out how to use the material you already have."

Shiro looked at him confused "What does that mean?"

Shiro turned around at the voice of Kyoya "You see, here at the Ouran host club, our policies to use our individual personality traits to meet the needs of our guests. For example, there is Tamaki, who is the princely type. There's the strong silent type. The boy-Lolita type. The little-devil type. And the cool type. It's all about variety. And now our group is complete with the addition of Haruhi, the natural."

Haruhi looked at me confused "The natural?"

Shiro then looked at me and pointed "Then who is she?"

Everyone looked at me and thought, I didn't have a title as I was just the maid but Tamaki hugged me and said

"why, she's the sweetheart! With her kindness and beauty who can resist her?"

I just looked at him unimpressed _thanks for the comment...but I don't wanna be the sweetheart! _

He didn't notice my look as Kyoya continued "It would seem that right now we have the perfect blend of characteristics, so it's going to be difficult to find a new type for Shiro."

Hikaru began "If you go by his age, he should be the boy-lolita type."

Kaoru finished "But Honey senpai's already got that covered."

Hunny started crying "Is he going to replace me?"

I picked him up and hugged him "of course not! Don't you worry!"

But suddenly a voice shouted from nowhere "Oh come on! Is that all you got?"

Renge popped up from the floor again on her giant machine.

_What's up with this place? It's supposed to be a music room._

Renge pointed to the boys and sighed "Sorry to interrupt gentlemen, but what's with the lackluster character analysis? I must say I'm quite disappointed. I thought I taught you better."

I put Hunny down as Tamaki said while picking Hunny up "All right then Miss manager, how would you work Shiro into our collection of characters? He can't be the boy-lolita because Honey's already got that covered."

Renge yelled "You just don't get it, do you? Now listen up! There are plenty of girls out there who have a thing for younger boys or boys with baby faces. These girls would be considered as Shota fans. Now Shota can be a very broad category. So it's important to know that genre can be broken down into many different smaller sub-categories. For example, Shota fans with interest in lolita boys would favor a boy like Haninozuka senpai. But this little boy is different. If I had to pick a character for him... Yes! He'd be the naughty boy type without a doubt!"

Shiro looked at her confused "The naughty type?"

The cage lifted up as Renge blew her whistle "Now to play as the naughty type, you have to wear shorts. Okay. You gotta have bumps and bruises! Give him a couple of scars! Run like a spoiled child! Make it reckless. Now I want you to trip and make it big!"

Shiro ran and tripped over and fell hard onto the floor.

_This training is horrible! _

I went to tell Renge to stop when Kyoya grabbed my shoulder "best not to interrupt she's getting him prepared."

I struggled "but he's getting hurt! This training is too harsh!"

Renge knelt down to the boy and said "Are you okay, little boy?"

She blew her whistle again "Now, give 'em your catch phrase!"

Shiro wiped his face "No big deal. It was nothing."

Renge clasped her face into her hands "Oh, that was perfect! Absolutely perfect, Shiro!"

Kyoya let me go as Tamaki clapped "That was outstanding. I never knew you were such a great coach, Renge."

Renge smiled and giggled but Shiro shouted "I've had enough of you people! This is so stupid! None of this is ever gonna help me make her happy."

Haruhi asked me "Who's her?"

I shrugged as Shiro ran out of the room. Tamaki reached out and shouted "Wait, Shiro. We haven't taught you how to apply the techniques you've learned yet!"

Renge stood ontop of her freaky-ass machine thing and said "I swear younger boys are good for nothing. I went to all that trouble to coach him. And he quits."

She disappeared into the floor as Tamaki said "I can't believe he ditched us just because he didn't like the lesson. What a selfish little brat."

I walked up to Tamaki and said "There aren't many people who would enjoy that kind of lesson. But never mind that. Were you listening to what he said?"

Haruhi came up to us and continued "He said he was gonna run out of time. What do you think he means by that? I think that, maybe, it's a girl."

* * *

We gathered around the chairs and talked about Shiro. I spoke up first "look, I thought that training was too harsh anyway. Besides it was pretty obvious that he is trying to get someone's attention. But who?"

Everyone shrugged as Tamaki said "All right men...and ladies, it's time to initiate our mission."

Haruhi, myself and Hunny looked at him confused. Haruhi asked "What do you mean?"

"What mission?" Hunny questioned.

Tamaki looked at them and said "I've assessed the situation. We'll infiltrate the elementary school. You two are going in."

Before they could say anything they were dragged away by the twins. I looked at Tamaki and sighed

"what are you planning? That we just sneak into his school and find out what's going on?"

He simply nodded and said "Haruhi and Hunny will go in with disguises on of course...you can dress up to if you want."

He smiled while holding up a uniform for me. I growled "you won't catch me dead in that...and if you even try your a dead man."

Tamaki gasped and went into his emo corner. About an hour later, and after many attempts to get Tamaki out of the emo corner, we arrived at Shiro's school, Haruhi was wearing a wig with the girls' elementary school uniform while Hunny was wearing the boys' one.

We all watched them from behind a door as the twins said "Isn't she the cutest?"

Tamaki squealed "Ah, look at her in that mini skirt. Haruhi looks like a little doll!"

Kyoya stated from his notebook "So basically you just wanted to see her dressed up like that."

I walked over to Tamaki and whispered into his ear "I'l kill you later for that you pervert."

Tamaki screamed and ran behind Kyoya, I also looked at the twins "same goes for you two."

They gasped and ran behind Kyoya as well. I smirked in triumph and followed Haruhi to Shiro's classroom.

Tamaki asked "So the kid's classroom is empty, isn't it?"

Hikaru and Kaoru casually walked in "This sure takes me back."

Kaoru asked "I wonder if doodles are still on my desk?"

Kyoya shook his head "Doubtful. The school changes out the desk every year."

Haruhi looked at the guys annoyed and asked "Hey, if you're just gonna barge in here like that, then why are we wearing these stupid disguises?"

Hikaru waved his hand "Don't worry about it."

Kaoru continued "There's no one here to catch us."

Just then a teacher could be heard down the hallway and we all hid amung the desks.

"No one here to catch us huh?" I teased Kaoru.

He rolled his eyes and whispered "If the teacher finds us,"

"we'll have a hard time explaining why we snuck in." Hikaru finished.

Haurih whispered to the guys "Shh, shut up guys. Just keep your lip zipped."

She zipped her lips and the twins and Tamaki did the same.

_Pfft how pathetic. _

I stood up and went to the door, the teacher was well down the hallway by now. "It's all right. He's gone. But you guys, we came here to get the scoop on Shiro. So what do you think we should do now?"

Kyoya, who was looking at some pictures, said "Well, here is something interesting."

I went over to him "What did you find?"

Everyone followed as Kyoya pointed at a picture of Shiro "So, he's in the classical music club."

Haruhi looked at the picture and smiled "He looks like he's enjoying himself. It's nice to see him with a smile on his face. I had no idea he looked so sweet."

Tamaki nodded in agreement as we all went to find Shiro, we looked in all the classrooms...

_I bet all the kids at this school think we're a bunch of weirdos. _

Hunny pointed "There he is. There's Shiro-Chan."

We looked in through the window at what looked like the classical music club. Shiro was talking to a girl before she started playing. I had to admit she was very good for a girl her age.

Another girl came out of the room as Tamaki handed her a rose "Pardon me, mademoiselle. I've never seen a rose more lovely than you, my dear. Here, this is for you. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about that young lady playing the piano. Do you know her?

The girl nodded "That's Hina Kamishiro."

Tamaki repeated "Her name is Hina?"

The girl nodded again "That's right, but you better not fall in love with her."

Tamaki asked why as the girl explained "Didn't you know? Hina has to move away soon. Her dad just got a new job in Germany. So they have to move there at the end of the week."

The door swung open as Shiro looked at us angrily "What do you think you're doing!? I want you idiots to leave immediately!"

Tamaki picked Shiro up and put him on his shoulders

"Put me down! What are you doing?! Let me go! Just put me down!"Shiro struggled against Tamaki, even when we finally got back.

* * *

Tamaki threw Shiro onto the sofa as Shiro shouted "What is your problem, you big idiot!?"

Tamaki remarked "I'm sorry but you're the idiot! You said you wanted me to teach you how to make women happy. But that's not it, is it? You're not concerned with the happiness of just any woman. You've got your sights set on one woman in particular. You only care about one, and that's Hina Kamishiro!

But I'm afraid, there's nothing I can do to help you with that. Listen, Shiro. I know that I told you it's the job of a host to make women happy. But when you care for someone, you must find the courage to express what is in your heart! You have to tell her how you feel about her! You didn't come to me looking to become a full-fledged host. You want to be a full-fledged man."

Shiro looked down at the ground in defeat and sighed "It doesn't matter anymore. I've run out of time. I just... I wanted to hear her play before she left for good. That's all."

Tamaki started walking over to a giant yellow curtain and said "That piece she played, it's Mozart's sonata in D major for two pianos, isn't it?"

He pulled back the curtain to reveal a giant grand piano. Haruhi and I looked at each other

"Wait a minute. Since when is there a grand piano in here?"

Kaoru stated "Well this is a music room, after all."

"So why wouldn't it have a grand piano?" Hikaru asked.

Kyoya repeated "It is a music room, after all."

"It is a music room." Mori said.

"It's always been there. We've just had it covered up." Hunny stated.

_Well now I feel stupid. _

Tamaki sat down at the piano and started playing the piece the girl played. His fingers glided across the keys of the piano as a beautiful melody came from it. Haruhi and I watched in awe and amazement...I had no idea he could play like that!

Tamaki said while playing "For the next week you will spend your mornings, lunches, recesses, and free time after school in piano lessons with me."

Shiro asked "But why?"

Tamaki smirked "You wanted to be my apprentice, right? Besides, that young lady looked like she wanted nothing more than to play the piano with you."

I smiled as he began teaching Shiro the tricks of the piano. A week later Tamaki sent an invitation to the girl named Hina as we all got dressed up in suits...yes even me! I was very happy I didn't have to wear a frilly dress! The door opened as the girl stood there looking at us as we bowed before her

"Welcome princess. We've been waiting."

Tamaki stepped away and bowed "I present to you Shiro Takaoji's piano recital. If you please, princess."

Shiro was sitting at the piano looking at Hina. He smiled "Let's play together, Hina."

The girl giggled "Okay!" She sat down and played with Shiro. They didn't stop looking at each other, it was rather sweet.

Tamaki whispered "We did a good thing."

Haruhi replied "He loves with all his heart. So I guess that's one more way Shiro takes after you, huh senapi?"

Tamaki smiled "Oh yes, I'd say so."

A few days later Hina left for Germany with her father. Shiro was with us again as I asked

"So you've been exchanging e-mails with Hina everyday now that she's in Germany?"

Shiro grinned while being surrounded by girls "Yeah, more or less. I like her, but she can get pretty jealous for an elementary school girl. She'd be upset if she knew I was with you ladies, so let's keep this our little secret."

The girls squealed and they said

"Naughty boys are the best."

"I could kiss you."

They kissed him on the cheek as Tamaki screamed

"You brat, what are you doing?! Those are my guests!"

Shiro scoffed "Well, it looks like they've found someone they like better. It's so easy to steal your customers. I think there's a new host king in town."

Tamaki shouted again and was being restrained by the twins.

Kaoru struggled "I thought he would make it through without exploding this time."

Hikaru continued "We should have known he was going to blow up sooner or later."

I shook my head as Haruhi said to me "Shiro really does have a lot in common with Tamaki senpai. I get the feeling that Senpai was also a spoiled brat when he was a kid."

Tamaki gasped and shouted to Haruhi "I was not a spoiled brat! I was nothing like him when I was a kid! I was a sweet, innocent, precocious adorable angel! Do you hear me!?"

I whispered to Haruhi "you're on your own on this one."

I shuffled away and said to Kyoya "Umm...I'll be going now. I'm done for the day."

Kyoya nodded "aren't you taking Haruhi with you?"

I shook my head "no, she's busy at the moment with Tamaki. He's giving me a headache."

I waved goodbye and shut the door behind me. I smirked and walked down the hallways to the outside of the building.

_I swear it seems like Tamaki hasn't grown up at all._

I chuckled as I walked home in the lovely late spring weather.

**A/N: I am very sorry if it is bad...I just wanted to get it out for you all today so I kinda rushed. Well I don't have much to say except..I hope you liked it and please review! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I breathed in and out deeply, taking in the beautiful weather.

"Man this is the best time of the year. Not too hot and not too cold."

I continued walking home from school when suddenly a pair of arms grabbed me from either side of me. I looked to see Mori on my left and Hunny on my right.

"w-what are you doing?!"

A limo pulled up in front of me and I saw Tamaki pull his window down. "Good work gentlemen, now bring her in."

"Roger." Mori and Hunny said before throwing me into a seperate car...with Haruhi! I sat down next to her and asked

"what's going on here?! Were you kidnapped to?"

Haruhi nodded "Hikaru and Kaoru just randomly grabbed me and threw me into this car...well whatever they have planned we can endure it together."

I rolled my eyes "god how cliche."

She playfully punched my arm as we both fell asleep on the long journey.

* * *

I was woken up by someone shaking me lightly, I opened my eyes to see Haruhi looking at me "we're here...wherever it is."

I looked out of the window and saw a giant glass dome in quite an isolated area. Hunny and Mori opened the doors as we got out. The twins dragged Haruhi away from me the moment she stepped out.

"Maria! Help me!" She cried. I started running to help her but Mori picked me up and put me over his shoulder.

"Sorry."

Was all that he said before following the twins to the girls changing rooms. Haruhi was already inside with two of the twins maids...and hundreds of bathing suits!?

"We've been asked to help you choose a swimsuit."

One of the maids said. I heard Hikaru shout from the other side. "We brought all of our mother's latest designed for you to choose from. Just pick whichever one you want."

For about 15 minutes Haruhi was refusing to wear one...but she gave in and wore a pink swimming costume and a cap to match. She left while I was left alone with the maids.

"Ok Miss Smith it's your turn now!"

The maids both smiled at me as one said "I think she'll look really cute in this one."

I gasped "but...that's nothing more that a couple of strings. I think I'll choose one."

I looked around and found one that caught my eye, it was a red bikini with white polka dots on it. I got dressed in a separate room with wore a large hat and red sunglasses to match.

The maids squealed "awww you look so cute!"

I thanked them and left, I slipped some sandals on and found Haruhi...wearing a yellow jumper and green shorts? Before I could ask I looked around to where I was. Haruhi turned to me

"We're in Japan, right? And Japan is not really known for its tropical locals."

I shrugged as I felt a hand on my shoulder

"Behold. Bask in the beauty of tropical birds. Are they breathtaking? I wonder what they're called."

Tamaki..._It was you wasn't it?! _

Haruhi ignored him completly and asked "Um, where was the exit, again?"

Tamaki continued "Try to make the most of this down time and just relax. We're so worried about keeping our good looks day and night. We deserve a little vacation."

_A vacation?! Just before the holidays? Why not just wait until then? Idiot..._

Haruhi just shook her head unimpressed "Personally I think this is pointless and a waste of time, so can I go home now? I should really be studying and I've got ton of laundry to do today. Senpai, where are we, anyway?"

Tamaki had gone back to his sunbed as Kyoya explained to us "This place is a brand new theme park that my family, the Otori group runs. It's called the Tropical Aqua Garden."

I turned to him a bit confused "I don't understand. I thought the Otori group ran hospitals and that they're focused on medical business, Kyoya senpai."

He looked at me and shifted his glasses "Yes, but my family likes to diversify and try different things. Besides this place could be classified as a healing facility. It's therapeutic. Think of all the people who were overworked and would just love a vacation in the south tropics. However, they may not be able to get the time off or they may not be able to afford it. Most people can now seek refuge here at this theme park and reduce their stress levels. The Otori group's primary concern has always been for the good health and wealth being of general public."

Haruhi whispered to me "It sounds suspicious to me."

Kyoya added "The park doesn't officially open until next month, but the host club was given a special advanced invitation."

Tamaki slid his fingers threw his hair and sighed "This is so relaxing. We don't have to worry about keeping our guests to entertain for once. It's truly like a holiday for handsome young soldiers. I guess that's what you call it...oh and it's also for pretty young girls as well."

He looked at me and Haruhi as I realised something. "Wait, so this is a water park..."

Tamaki and Kyoya looked at me like I was going to say something bad but I shouted "THIS IS AWESOME!"

Haruhi's jaw dropped to the floor in shock "what?! Your serious? How could you like it here?"

I jumped up and down in excitement "I love water parks! Oh my god they have a slide here! It's huge!"

I saw Kaoru and shouted "Hey Kaoru wanna check out the water slide with me?"

He looked at me and smiled "yeah sure! Hey Hikaru you coming?"

Hikaru nodded and they grabbed my hands and took me to the slide. When we got to the top it was quite high...the twins said

"wow...this is high...errr...ladies first."

They laughed nervously as I laughed "you don't have to tell me twice!"

I jumped onto the slide before they could stop me as I went down the slide and fell into the pool with a huge splash. The twins followed soon after as I laughed

"ah I see you two stopped being wimps and decided to come down."

They glared at me and then smirked "we'll see who the wimp is." Hikaru said and dived back under and began swimming to my legs!

I tried to swim away but he grabbed my legs and lifted me up, I yelped and laughed "alright put me down!"

Kaoru helped me down and I swam to the edge of the pool with them. We got out and found Haruhi with Hunny.

"Haruhi you've gotta check out the slide! It's awesome!" I squealed in excitement.

Haruhi rolled her eyes "I don't know how you could get so excited about this place."

Hikaru came up next to me and asked Haruhi "So, you're not going to swim?"

Kaoru also asked "Hold on, you do swim, don't you?"

Haruhi said annoyed "I can swim just as good as the next guy, but this isn't my ideal fun. I'm not that big on water parks. We're just gonna spend all day goofing off. Honestly I'd rather be at home. I don't understand what's great about this place, anyway? I mean all you really need to play in the water is a plastic pool."

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at her confused "A plastic pool? What's that?"

Haruhi explained "Let's see... I guess they're about this big, round, and to use it, you have to pump it full of air."

Hikaru shook his head "You dunce."

Kaoru added "That's an inflatable boat, dummy."

Hikaru then finished "There's no way something that small could be used as a pool."

_Idiots! _

I stepped in and said "Guys, it's a small pool. Haven't you ever seen little kids playing in one?"

Tamaki came over and dragged the twins away from us "You idiots! If Haruhi thinks it's a pool, then it's a pool. Got it? Don't go embarrassing Haruhi. She can't help it if she's ignorant commoner."

They were obviously trying to make sure we didn't hear them...but it wasn't working.

The twins said "So, are we supposed to lie to her? Is that what you want?"

Haruhi looked at me as her eye twitched in annoyance "I can't help but feel like I should be offended by that comment."

I rolled my eyes and walked over to Kyoya, he looked up at me as I asked "hey can I sit with you?"

He nodded as I sat on the bed next to him. He looked at me again and smiled "nice swimsuit, did the maids choose it for you?"

I shook my head "nope, I chose it myself...the maid's ideas of 'cute' were making me wear nothing but some pieces of strings."

He chuckled and he shifted his glasses "I see you enjoyed the water slide. I'm guessing you like water parks."

I smiled "yeah, I used to go to water parks all the time when I was little...but I don't go to them anymore."

I frowned as he looked at me "well, your more than welcome to come to our water park...even though you are in debt to the club you have been extremely good at your job."

I smiled and hugged him" Oh thank you so much!"

I let go of him as I looked into his eyes...I looked away and blushed slightly.

I got up and said "well...umm...I'm gonna go check on Haruhi, I gotta make sure the twins aren't sexually harassing her."

He chuckled as I found Haruhi with Hunny "Haru-chan. Let's play! You wanna go swimming in the current pool with me?"

Haruhi sighed "Nah, I'm not gonna swim today. Hold on, you know how to swim. Do you still need that float?"

Hunny shook his head as he turned in his pink float "Just looks cuter this way, you know?"

He skipped away as Haruhi smiled "You're right. Those Bunnies are pretty cute."

The twins added "He's so innocent."

Just just an all too familiar voice could be heard "No way! You got it all wrong."

The floor shook as Renge appeared on her giant machine again.

Haruhi looked at me with a sweatdrop "How did she do that? It's like that rig follows us."

"It kinda scares me." I added.

Renge came down wearing a black bikini and had a tattoo on her stomach. Hikaru began "That outfit is pretty impressive."

Kaoru finished "What's with the tattoo on your stomach?"

Renge smiled " Oh, that? You don't recognize it? I'm cosplaying."

Hikaru asked "Yeah, who?"

Renge sang "La-La."

Kaoru asked "La-La? Like the manga magazine?"

Renge's eyes dazzeled as she squealed "Her petite and slender frame. Her blue eyes that light up young men's faces. Her singing voice. La. I am Quon Kisaragi."

_I wouldn't have guessed. _

Renge pointed at us and shouted "Listen up! Obviously you need help understanding Haninozuka's hidden motives. Look!"

She pointed at Hunny who shouted to Mori as he jumped into the water. Mori smiled as Tamaki asked

"What are you talking about?"

Renge grinned "Think about what he said to you earlier."

_He said "Just looks cuter this way, you know?" _

Renge stated "He is not being as sweet and innocent as you think."

Kyoya, who suddenly came over said "I agree. Try putting a word, "I" at the beginning of that sentence."

We all thought and suddenly we all shouted "He planned that!?"

Renge said "That's Haninozuka for you. In the last episode, he felt threatened by another loli boy type, so he is taking steps to keep his way. I should give him more credit. He is a lot smart than I thought."

Those were he last words before she disappeared with her machine. "Hey, look at this, everybody! Check it out!"

We all turned to Hunny and saw him sitting ontop of Mori as he was swimming in the current pool.

Hunny giggled "Look! Even though we're swimming really fast, we never go any further than we're now."

Tamaki, Haruhi and I looked at each other as Tamaki said "So, what's up with him?"

Haruhi added "Could he really be that smart?"

Just then water splashed Tamaki in the face as Hikaru laughed with his water gun in hand "I gotcha."

Kaoru, who also had a water gun, said "Come on, boss. Let's go. Let's have a water gun fight."

Hikaru finished "It'll be me and Kaoru against you. If you get it in the face, you lose. What do you say?"

_Man it's been a while since I've played...but I can't be bovered now I need to do some sunbathing, I look like Casper the ghost. _

Tamaki wiped his face in a towel and sighed "Forget it. Why would I want to subject myself to a childish game like that?"

The twins grinned evilly and grabbed me and Haruhi, Hikaru said

"Haruhi, Maria, I think it's time that we got married."

Kaoru added "And we'll have our honeymoon in Atami."

Tamaki glared at them as he started pumping a water gun really fast "Do you really think I would let them marry you guys. Daddy says no!"

I grabbed Haruhi and we rann from the water gun fight.

Haruhi asked "I'm gonna get a drink, you want one?"

I nodded "yes please, just some lemonade will be fine."

Haruhi went and got us drinks as we sat on the beds. Haruhi borrowed my iPod and listened to some music while I sipped my drink. I then noticed Mori standing above me trying to get some water out of his ears_. _I asked him

"Taking a break, huh? You want something to drink?"

I offered him my drink as he took it, grateful "Yeah, thanks."

Haruhi gave me my iPod as she had some of her drink. Just then I noticed Mori dropped my drink onto the floor as he stared at the pool, we looked as we saw a giant wave approaching Hunny! It devoured Hunny as he was dragged away by the current.

"Honey senpai!" Haruhi shouted.

Mori shouted "Mitsukuni!" As we started running to the pool, but Mori slipped on a banana peel.

_Umm...wrong time for these gags. _

Tamaki shouted "Gentlemen, we're going after Honey senpai! That pool looks like the quickest way! Charge!"

We started running to the pool as we heard Kyoya shout "Wait! I wouldn't go..."

But we soon noticed giant alligators in the pool!

"There are alligators in there!" We all screamed as we ran back to where Kyoya was.

Tamaki shouted again "Okay, so we can't choose that pool! Then let's try this way next!"

He pointed to a different way but saw alligators there. He gasped as the twins yelped "They're here, too!"

"And here!" Haruhi and I yelped. By the time we stopped running we were gasping for breath.

"What's with all the alligators?" Haruhi asked

"Beats me." Tamaki replied.

Kyoya calmly stated "Those alligators belong to park's tropical animal exhibit. I guess it is kinda dangerous to let them run wild. Though, the cause of our present situation seems to be the location of the switch for the current pool. I'll have to have a little chat with our designers."

He closed his book and smiled at us "Thanks a lot, you guys. I got some great data today."

We all looked at him and shouted "You what!?"

_I mean come on! I know your the shadow king and all but geez, Hunny was just taken away by alligator infested waters. _

Kyoya took us to a gaint map of the place as he said "This is a map of the Tropical Aqua Garden. This is our current location. We need to get here. I have the feeling that's where Honey senpai probably ended up. It might be tough because to get there, we'll have to make through this jungle area, here in the southern block. Distance wise we're talking about 800 metres."

Haruhi examined the map and asked "Looks like there are a lot of undeveloped areas. Any idea what might be lurking in this part of the jungle?"

Kyoya shrugged "Since they're still being developed, I'm afraid I don't know."

Hikaru began nervously "Whatever there's out there, it could be even more dangerous..."

"than alligators." Kaoru finished.

Tamaki knelt down to the floor like an officer and said "All right! Now, this is a mission of survival! I know we can make it through the treacherous jungle in one piece. It is our sworn duty to save Honey senpai!"

* * *

We started walking into the jungle...oh sorry the 'treacherous jungle' as Tamaki would put it, and just kept on walking for miles and miles. But no matter what Kyoya and Kaoru were always near me like they were waiting to save me.

_Guys seriously I'm not a damsel in distress! I don't need saving all of the time! _

But I didn't say anything as it might have sounded a bit rude.

"Wow, this place is just like a real jungle, huh?" Tamaki said.

I just looked at him and sarcastically said "No! Really? I thought it was the North Pole!"

He looked at me and poked his tongue out at me as I did as well.

Haruhi ignored us and said "And I keep hearing all these really strange animal calls."

Hikaru began "You don't think that all those animal sounds..."

"could belong to the real thing, do you?" Kaoru finished.

Kyoya shrugged like he didn't care "To be honest, I'm not sure. But I do know that my family always strives for authenticity whatever they cost."

I looked at Mori who had such a straight face, but he was probably worried about Hunny as they're always together. Just as I thought that he slipped on a banana peel again.

_Dude! Bad time for these gags! _

We all looked at him as Hikaru said "Mori senpai is..."

"acting as clumsy as you do, boss." Kaoru finished.

Mori got up as Kyoya looked at his watch "Uh oh, it's about time for the squall."

As soon as he said that I felt a drop of water on my face, we ran for shelter under this wooden hut as it began to pour down. Mori kept on looking into the jungle as Haruhi asked him

"Hey Mori senpai, you seem to be really close to Honey senpai. Are the two of you like childhood friends?"

Hikaru turned to Haruhi and began "You mean you don't know..."

"that they're cousins?" I turned to them in just as much shock as Haruhi was.

"You kidding me. They're related." I stated.

I turned as I head Kyoya explain "The Morinozukas have been serving the Haninozuka family for generations."

Hikaru continued "However, two generations ago, the families became relatives by marriage and the master-servant relationship soon became thing of the past."

Kaoru finished "But even so, Mori senpai has always made a point to accompany Honey senpai."

Tamaki smiled "Must really get his blood going. The blood of a loyal servant flows like a mighty river through Mori senpai's vein."

Hikaru and Kaoru cried "Such a beautiful story! I'm touched!"

_I don't know if I call it a beautiful story. _

Haruhi went over to Mori and placed a hand on his arm. "Hey Mori senpai, it's gonna be all right. I'm sure that Honey senpai is safe. He's a lot tougher than you might think he is, and if he gets hungry, there're trees full of bananas."

The twins turned and said "Bananas?"

I looked and them and asked "seriously what is up with you guys and your fetish for bananas?"

Before they could retort I turned to Mori who put a hand on Haruhi's head and smiled "You're right."

_Wow...he's talking a lot more that usual. _

Tamaki began screaming "Don't tell me Mori senpai is after my spot as Haruhi's daddy!"

The twins just looked at him and said "Nobody wants that spot, but you boss."

Kaoru added "That's kinda creepy, when you think about it."

Tamaki yelled at them "What? Who you calling creepy?"

The twins laughed and teased in a sing-song voice "You're a big-o perv."

Tamaki continued screaming at the twins as they continued teasing him.

* * *

Eventually the rain died down and Kyoya was still on the phone to either his family or his private police force, explaining what had happened.

"Yes, at once, please." He put the phone down as he explained to us "My family's private police force is going to send in a search and rescue team and help us. They're better equipped to find Honey senpai than we are. So let's just go back to the gate and wait there."

The twins were still teasing Tamaki but silenced when Kyoya pointed out "Hey, where are Mori and Haruhi?"

I looked around and noticed that they had disappeared as well. Tamaki screamed "Ahhh my beloved Haruhi is missing! We must find her!"

He ran out of the hut as we followed him behind. I walked beside Kyoya as he said to me "You know, I don't believe I mentioned them there're other visitors here. Oh, well."

_Why do I get the feeling that something bad is gonna happen? _

We continued walking until we heard the moans of men...being beaten up? We ran towards the sound as we saw Haruhi, Mori...and Hunny surrounded by unconscious policemen.

Tamaki shouted "Haruhi! Haruhi, are you all right!?"

Hunny looked to the sound and smiled "Hey, it's Tama-chan."

Tamaki ran to Haruhi and hugged her "Haruhi! I was so worried."

The twins went over to the policemen and poked them, Hikaru said "I'm not sure what happened here, but at least they're still alive."

Koaru added "It's pretty amazing that this is Honey senpai's work. He must have really been holding back."

I looked at them confused and asked "Huh? What do you mean he was holding back?"

They looked at me as Kaoru began "So then..."

Hikaru continued "You don't know about senpai? The Haninozukas are famous for their martial arts. Not only they've helped train the police and SDF forces but they've also work with several overseas militaries."

Kyoya added the the explanation "Honey senpai in particular has been called the dreadnought of the Haninozuka family. By the time he was in middle school, he'd become the national champion in both karate and judo."

_He what?! _

Tamaki, who had finally let go of Haruhi, said "Mori senpai's no slouch either. He won the national championship in kendo when he was just in middle school."

_Ok him I can believe but Hunny?! No way...he beat the crap out of these grown men! Awesome! _

Hikaru turned to Hunny and asked "So, how are you able to find this, Honey senpai?"

Hunny smiled "It wasn't hard. It didn't take me long to reach the end of the current pool, so I decided to look for you, guys."

Suddenly the policemen started talking to Hunny. "We humbly apologize! I am a 2nd-generation student of the Ishizuka Dojo!"

"I am a student of the Todoroki Dojo!"

"And I'm from the Otake Dojo! We are in your debt!"

Hunny looked at them confused and asked "Why? Something wrong?"

One of the policemen said "Yes, sir! We're so sorry, sir! We were unaware that we were searching for Mitsukuni Hanozuka. We've committed a terrible offense here. I apologize for this confrontation. My Dojo would be so excited here that we come face to face with great Haninozuka. I cherish this moment."

_So he is smart. He is deeper than I could imagine. _

Hunny went over to Mori and patted his head "Takashi, you did an amazing job protecting Haru-chan. I bet you're pretty lonely without me around, huh?"

Mori looked away and said "I don't know if I'd say that."

Hunny smiled as I asked Haruhi "so...you saw Hunny beat up those men?"

We all started to walk back to the pool as Haruhi said "yeah...I never knew he could do that! He really is smarter than I thought."

We all finally got back to the pool, the policemen went back to...wherever they came from, as Hikaru said "You know, maybe we should go to the beach next."

Kaoru added "Yeah, the beach would be nice."

Tamaki sighed "You idiots, Haruhi is not interested in anything like that."

Haruhi stopped and smiled "Actually, I might like to go to the beach. I may not be into this silly water park, but I like the ocean. It would be nice to go to the beach. And it's so pretty."

I added "I may like water parks but I love the beach even more."

Tamaki smiled and said "Yeah. All right. Then that's where we'll go next time."

Hunny, who was on Mori's shoulders, giggled "We're all gonna go to the beach, Tama-chan? That'll be fun, don't you think?"

Mori looked up at Hunny and smiled "Yeah" was all he said.

Haruhi and I got changed back into our clothes and the guys took us back home.

I got back as my mum asked "where were you Maria? I got a little concerned that you didn't call me."

I smiled and simply replied "oh...I just went swimming. That's all."

**A/N: I got it out a little earlier for you guys! That's because I had a day off school today. It was awesome! I might do another chapter this weekend but I dunno yet. Oh btw I should tell you now that I am gonna change episode 8 slightly because I didn't really like the message it was giving. (Sorry if that gives it away) Anyway I hope you liked it :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Phew it's hot today! _I thought to myself, me and Haruhi were in the host club doing some homework together. It was late spring and the weather was beautiful, a hot sunny day...perfect for the beach. And right on Que the twins pop up and shout

"let's go to the beach Haruhi and Maria!"

Haruhi looked at them from her homework and asked "The beach?"

The twins shouted "Of course, the beach."

"But why?" Haruhi asked, confused.

Hikaru began "Don't you remember what you said?"

"You said you'd like to go to a real beach." Kaoru finished.

Haruhi looked at me and said "Did I say that?"

I nodded "yes you did, wow you have a bad memory."

The twins interupted us and revealed many swimming costumes "We brought some swimsuits for you to choose from."

Kaoru stated. Hikaru smiled "Pretty cute, don't you think?" They pointed to one in particular which was pink with ruffles on the top part of the bikini. It was very cute but Hunny disagreed and popped up with a blue swimsuit

"Not that one. I think this swimsuit would look much cuter on Haru-chan."

The twins tutted "I don't think you get it, Honey senpai."

They then lifted Haruhi up by the arms as Hikaru said "Just look. This uniform barely hide the fact that Haruhi is as flat as a cutting board."

I chuckled at that, Haruhi gave me a death glare though but it was worth it.

Koaru continued "A one-piece suit like that would only upset her because it draws attention to her lacking feminine physique."

The twins put Haruhi down and pointed back to the pink bikini they suggested "That's why we carefully selected this two piece suit, see? The ruffles help hide the fact that she's so flat chested."

I clapped "even though normally I would have punched you by now, I must admit your knowledge on fashion is very good."

The twins bowed but Tamaki shouted at them "You punks had better quit sexually harassing my little girl! I've had enough of you!"

The twins hid behind the table and asked "That means we're not going to the beach?"

Tamaki smirked "Who said that we're not going?"

The twins popped up from the table and smiled "Really? So you wanna go after all?"

Hunny jumped up and down in excitement "Can Use-chan come, too?"

Kyoya, who was looking at the bikinis, said "I have no problem with that."

Mori grunted as Haruhi looked at Tamaki in shock "Huh? We're really gonna go?"

Tamaki nodded "Why not? Let's go to the beach."

The twins came over to me and asked "you coming to the beach Maria?"

I shrugged "I'm not sure if I can, I'm quite busy this weekend..."

But before I could finish Hunny came over to me with huge puppy dog eyes "so...your not coming to the beach with us?"

He looked like he was on the brink of crying. _Oh man I am so weak to those puppy dog eyes! _

I got my mobile out of my bag and said "let me call my mum and ask."

Hunny immediately cheered up as I put the phone to my ears. "Hey mum...I'm fine thanks and you...good, anyway mum is it ok if I go to the beach with my friends...for the weekend...are you sure? I can always stay at home if you really need my help, I'm worried about leaving you alone...ok thanks mum bye...love you to."

I looked at the others and smiled "yeah, I can go."

The twins hugged me tight and said "well, lets choose a swimsuit for you."

After an hour of the twins giving me fashion advice, they gave me an white bikini with a picture of a pink flower on the top part of the bikini. When I got home that night I packed my suitcase and went into the living room where my mum was sitting in the armchair watching the news.

"Are you all packed for your holiday?"

I nodded "look mum, I'm worried something might happen to you if I'm away, are you sure I can go?"

My mum smiled "Maria, you do so much for me already you deserve a little break. But there is something I want you to promise me."

I sat down in the chair next to her "yeah sure what is it?"

She smiled "when you have dinner with your friends...dress nicely. And by that I mean wear a dress and makeup."

I sighed "but mum, you know I prefer jeans."

She laughed "exactly, these boys are nice and I don't think it would be appropriate for you to wear a 3 year old shirt and baggy jeans. Please darling, for me?"

I rubbed my temples and sighed "alright...I promise."

* * *

Early the next morning I went to Haruhi's house to go and meet the guys near the school. We grabbed our suitcases and walked to school, and down the road just outside the school was a limo with all the guys waiting for us. The twins, Tamaki and Hunny waved as the driver took our suitcases and put them into the boot. We got into the car and drove to the location of our holiday. From what I gathered it was Kyoya's limo as he knew where everything was, he got everyone drinks and we sipped our drinks.

"Hey Kyoya do you have a radio, or a docking station for my Ipod?"

He nodded "yes, it's just here."

I plugged my Ipod in an put on some songs...which unfortunately the twins and Tamaki knew. So they kept on singing the entire journey. After about 2 hours we arrived at a beach, we got out and stood on top of a hill looking at the beach.

Hikaru and Kaoru asked "So, why'd we come to Okinawa?"

Tamaki stated "Because Kyoya's family has a private beach here."

Hunny gasped at the view "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Mori nodded "Yeah."

The twins began together "But why couldn't we have gone..."

"to the Caribbean?" Hikaru asked.

"Or even Fiji?" Kaoru also asked.

Kyoya said "Do you think a commoner like Haruhi and Maria have passports?"

Haruhi looked at them with a sweat drop "You do realize that I can hear what you're saying, right?"

And I turned to Kyoya "and for your information, I do have a passport thank you very much."

Kyoya shrugged and showed us to some changing rooms, Haruhi didn't get changed though she wore a blue t-shirt and some long shorts. I, however, got changed into my bikini that the twins gave me. When I came out I saw some girls from the host club. One of them waved at me and said

"wow Maria, you look so great in a bikini! I'm so jealous."

The other girls nodded in agreement as I said "but you girls look great in your bikini's, I'm wouldn't be surprised if you have broken some hearts already."

They all squealed and hugged me tight. When they let go I went over to Haruhi who was sitting under an umbrella, I looked around and Tamaki was entertaining some guests, Kyoya was keeping it organised, the twins were playing volleyball with some girls and Hunny and Mori were doing some really weird moves with some girls.

Haruhi looked at me and sighed "This sucks. I thought going to the beach meant the day off."

I shrugged as the girls came up from behind and asked "Um Haruhi, aren't you going to go swimming with us?"

Haruhi shook her head "No, uh, I like looking at the sea from a safe distance."

"Well, if you're not going to swim, would you mind if we sat here and talked with you?" One of the other girls asked.

Haruhi put on her natural charm and said "But why? You girls should go swim. You've got cute swimsuits on. Why not show them off?"

The girls blushed and sighed dreamily...so I shuffled away to avoid the girls flirting with Haruhi. When I looked to find the other I found Tamaki on a sunbed having some sort of spazm

"It'll happen just like that. The greatest day of my life. I don't know if I can handle it."

Some of the girls asked the twins "What's the matter with Tamaki? Is he having a seizure?"

The twins sat back as Hikaru said "I wouldn't worry about it."

"He gets like this occasionally." Koaru finished.

_Oh great Tamaki is having a perverted thought about Haruhi...I'll have to beat him up later the sicko. _

I went back to Haruhi as she got out from underneath the umbrella. "Hey Maria, I was gonna go for a walk on the beach wanna come?"

I nodded "sure, let's see how big this beach is...then we can determine how rich Kyoya is."

She laughed as we walked down the beach together. We came to some rocks as we heard Hunny shout to us "Haru-chan! Mari-chan! Wanna go 'hellfish shunting'?"

Haruhi mumbled "I think you're trying to say 'shellfish hunting'. But this doesn't seem to be that kind of beach, Hunny senpai. You're not gonna find many shellfish..."

But she looked down next to Hunny and found a bucket full of shellfish. We looked around and found the ground covered with shellfish!

"What the hell? No way!" I yelled in shock.

Haruhi and I ran over to Hunny and did decide to help him with the shellfish. Hunny gasped "Amazing! Look how many we got!"

Haruhi beamed "We're gonna have some fancy side dishes tonight. It's gonna be delicious."

I shook my head at her "man your such a glutton Haruhi."

She poked her tounge out at me and noticed Tamaki a few feet from us, she shouted and waved at him "Senpai, dinner is gonna be awesome. It's a major haul!"

Tamaki squealed "Oh I'm just so proud. Look at my little girl!"

I rolled my eyes as Haruhi kept on shouting how amazing dinner was gonna be. I pulled her back down to the shellfish as Tamaki said to Haruhi "Tell me, Haruhi. Isn't this crab crab-tivating?"

And for some reason Kyoya wrote that down in his book. _Man that joke was really bad...even for you Tamaki. _

Haruhi laughed "Oh yeah."

Tamaki smiled "Your so cute!"

I looked at the crab and saw something black crawling across the crab...they girls all screamed "Cen- ti- pede!"And ran away.

Me and Haruhi just looked at it and Haruhi picked it up and threw it into some grass. The twins came over and leaned on Haruhi "Hey, Haruhi."

Hikaru said "Now I know most girls aren't really the bug-loving type and I certainly didn't think you were, but..."

"Don't you think you could've be easy on the little guy?" Kaoru asked.

I shook my head "Oh come on. It's not dead. Takes a lot more than that to kill a bug."

They looked at me and asked "your not afraid of bugs either?"

I shook my head as the girls came back "Haruhi is so brave and manly."

"It's still so sweet."

"He's the best."

I patted Haruhi on the shoulder "your on your own on this one."

I shuffled away and walked down the beach again. I went down to sunbathe when suddenly the twins came over and yelled "Hey Maria! We're going to check out this cave, wanna come?"

I sighed "sure why not?" The picked me up and dragged me to the cave where Haruhi and two girls were as well. We walked in as Hikaru started telling us

"This is the place. It's the most haunted spot in all of Okinawa. The locals don't even come out here."

The girls shook in fear as Kaoru continued "They say that the only time you can even find this cave is at low tide. Evidently, many people have died down here from drowning. And their soles still linger, taking revenge on anyone who happens to come inside."

The girls screamed as a ghost appeared in front of us, a hand landed on me and Haruhi's shoulders as we turned around to Tamaki holding a puppet

"What's going on? Are you trying to freak us out?" Haruhi asked.

Kaoru held another puppet and asked "What's wrong with you? I thought everyone was afraid of ghosts."

We shook our heads "But I've never seen a real one." We said in unison.

We got back to the beach and found a gigantic truck with Hunny inside. "Haru-chan! Mari-chan! Would you come over here?"

Haruhi looked up at it and asked "What the...? Are you sure it's okay to drive a truck like this on the sand?"

We got in with Hunny as he instructed "Well, we're ready whenever you are, private police people, please lower the door."

The police saluted and closed the door.

_Wait are those the policemen from the other day... _

Suddenly Hunny started screaming and crying "It's dark. It's scary in here! I feel like I can't breath!"

We tried to calm him down but with no luck. The policemen opened the door as Hunny ran out crying. Haruhi and I just climbed down and walked down the beach again. We saw Mori who held something behind his back, then when we got close to him he pointed a very shark harpoon at us.

Haruhi calmly said "Mori, ah, you're my senpai not a sentai?"

_Nice pun Haruhi. _

We went back to the house and we went to our rooms, me and Haruhi shared and as we got into bed I said "you know...I have a feeling that the guys are trying to find out what we're afraid of."

Haruhi looked at me scared "I don't want them to find out my fear...please don't tell them."

I shook my head "as long as you don't tell them mine." We nodded and fell fast asleep.

* * *

The next day was another warm day, we went back down to the beach and spent the day relaxing and swimming in the sea. At sunset Haruhi went off to find some more 'side dishes' and some of the girls came over to me.

"Hey Maria were going onto that rock over there to look at the view, wanna come with us?"

I nodded and went up with them, it was quite high so you could see everything. It was beautiful. One of the girls noticed Haruhi at the bottom of the rock and shouted "Look up here, Haruhi."

Another girl shouted "What's up! The breeze up here feels great!"

Haruhi shouted back in worry "It's dangerous. Be careful."

We nodded as a gentle breeze flew in the air. One of the girls said "This feels so good."

We all nodded as a male voice from behind us said "Hey there're chicks up there, man."

We turned around and saw two boys walking towards us. The other boy said "Aren't we lucky? You ladies wanna hang with a couple of locals?"

A girl walked over to them and said "No thanks. Please just leave us alone."

But the pervert went up to her and grabbed her arm. "Oh come on. We just wanna show you girls how to have a good time."

The two other girls huddled together as one said "This is a private beach. You guys are not allowed to be here."

The other boy went up behind them and grabbed them "Private? Does that mean we're alone?"

The first boy looked at me and grinned "woah, aren't you a pretty one? Why don't you come over here so we can get to know each other better?"

_He's making me sick. They both are! _

But before I could answer shellfish hit one of the boys causing him to let go of the girl. I looked to see Haruhi standing there "Why don't you quit bothering them? Weren't you jerks listening? You better just leave them alone."

The girls smiled as the guy clenched his fist "You little runt."

He ran over to Haruhi and grabbed her by the shirt. I looked at the girl and shouted "run! Get out of here!"

She ran down to the beach as I went to the guy "let him go you bastard!"

He grinned "don't tell me you two are dating? Ha! Your better of with a real man like me!"

He took Haruhi to the edge of the cliff and snarled "What are you gonna do now, loser?"

That was it! I ran up to the boy, grabbed him and threw him to the floor. He grunted in pain as I went to the other boy and punched him in the stomach, causing him to let go of the girls.

"Go run! Now!" I shouted to them. They ran to the beach quickly. The boys got back up as I stood next to Haruhi. The boys ran towards us as I kicked one of the boys in the face and punched him in the stomach again. He fell to the floor again as I noticed the boy grabbed Haruhi again.

"I got an idea, kid. How would you like to take a dip?"

No! I tried to run towards him but the other boy grabbed my feet causing me to fall to the floor. "Hope you could swim."

He let Haruhi go as she fell off the cliff.

"Haruhi!" I screamed.

Just them I saw Tamaki dive in after her. The other boy turned to me and grinned "your defiantly a feisty one...I like that in a girl."

He started to walk towards me ready to grab me but a pair of hands pulled him away and another got the boy off my feet. I got up and saw the twins growling at them "how dare you hurt Haruhi and Maria!"

They started beating the crap out of them as I saw Kyoya come over to me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded "yeah I'm fine, I fought them off for a while but they caught me by surprise." He looked at me with shock, because I fought those two guys by myself.

* * *

When the twins finally let them go, the two boys ran off after Kyoya took their ID cards. I ran down the cliff to see if Haruhi and Tamaki came out of the water. Me, the twins, Kyoya, Hunny and Mori found them just coming out of the water.

"Haru-chan!" Hunny shouted.

"Boss!" Hikaru yelled. Tamaki came out of the water carrying Haruhi bridal style as he asked "Where'd they go?"

Kyoya gave his top to Haruhi and said "We took their ID cards and respectfully asked them to leave. The girls all went back to the hotel and I called a doctor. He should be arriving in here any minute now."

Tamaki thanked him as Haruhi got off of Tamaki "I'm fine, you guys. I don't need a doctor."

I ran to Haruhi and hugged her tight crying. "Oh Haruhi I'm so sorry, I only protected myself I didn't protect you please forgive me!"

She hugged me back "it wasn't your fault I'm glad your ok."

Tamaki then said to us "What were you thinking? You know, you're not like Honey senpai. You're not a martial arts master. Why did you confront them? What made you think you would stand a chance? You against two boys?"

He grabbed out shoulders as Haruhi explained "But it doesn't matter that they're boys and we're girls. I was there. I had to do wasn't any time to think..."

I nodded in agreement as Tamaki yelled "That's no excuse, you idiots. Don't forget you are girls!"

We glared at Tamaki as I said "what's your problem Tamaki? What did you want us to do? Run away and leave them? Or come and get you?"

Haruhi spoke "Look, I'm sorry you had to come and save me, senpai. But I don't understand why you're so mad at us right now. I don't think we did anything wrong!"

I also shouted "neither do I!"

He let us go and began walking away "You don't think so? Fine, whatever you say."

He then shouted back to us "But I'm not speaking to either of you until you can admit that you were wrong!"

We glared at him as Haruhi gave Kyoya his top and grabbed my hand to walk back to our room. Haruhi went to have a shower and when she got out I had one to.

I came over of the shower wrapped in a towel as I said "can you believe him? How sexist is that?! Does he think that we're some damsels in distress and need saving all the time?"

Haruhi nodded "I know! And even though I don't know any fighting moves you know some at least."

I grabbed my underwear and said "yeah, my dad taught me those moves so I could defend myself in case something like that happened."

I went into the bathroom to put my underwear on, when I came back I saw Haruhi glaring at a pink dress of her bed. "That's a nice dress when did you get that Haruhi?"

She sighed "my dad must have repacked my bags when I wasn't looking."

I laughed "well you can either go to dinner naked or wear that dress." She mumbled angrily and put the dress on. I got my long, red, strapless, maxi dress from my suitcase and put that one with some red wedges. I put some eye makeup on and some red lipstick to match.

Haruhi looked at me in shock. "well you look surprisingly good for dinner, why?"

Before I could answer we heard a knock at the door. I opened it to find Mori there. He stared at me for a little while before saying "dinner's ready."

Haruhi and I followed him downstairs in silence and when we got to the dining room he opened the door for us. The guys noticed Haruhi first as she was standing in front of me, Hunny gasped as the twins asked "Haruhi, where did you get that dress?"

Haruhi replied "From my dad. He must have repacked my bags when I wasn't looking. He always try to get me to wear this frilly stuff."

The twins gave a thumbs up and said "That's awesome! Way to go, dad!"

Hunny stated "You look so cute, Haru-chan."

Haruhi went to the table as the guys stared at me for a moment. I shifted uncomfortably "can you guys stop staring at me please?"

The twins shook their heads and asked "sorry, you look great Maria."

Kyoya came up to me and asked "you don't usually dress this nice for anything. What made you change your mind?"

I sighed "I promised my mum that I would dress nice for dinner with you guys."

The twins gave another thumbs up as we sat down for dinner.

The silence was unbearable. You could feel the tension in the air, Haruhi and Tamaki were sitiing next to each other and I sat next to Kaoru and Kyoya.

"Well this is uncomfortable." Hikaru said.

"Yeah, kind of awkward." Kaoru pointed out.

Hunny tried to break the tension and said to Haruhi "Let's dig in, Haru-chan. These are crabs we caught. I bet they're delicious."

I grabbed a crab myself and started eating. I looked at Haruhi who was having one after another after another.

"These crabs... taste in-crab-ible. Get it?"

I chuckled at the joke and continued eating. Tamaki looked at Haruhi a bit comcerned and said "Don't you think you've had enough? Give it a rest."

Haruhi stated "Excuse me, I thought you weren't speaking to me."

She opened another crab as a bit hit him on the chin. I had to hold back a laugh as Tamaki said "You, trying to be cute?"

I smirked at him as he got up and threw his napkin onto the table. "Okay fine, I get it. It seems you two refuse to admit that you were wrong. See if I care, then. I'm going to bed. Kyoya, would you show me to my room, please?"

He walked away as Kyoya patted his mouth and got up "No problem. Well, excuse me, everyone."

Haruhi put her crab down and sighed "Maybe he's right. Maybe I do need to learn a way to protect myself."

I looked at her in shock. _What she's not seriously saying that hes right?! _

The twins spoke up in unison "So, that's it. He got to you, huh?"

Hikaru stated "Well, it wouldn't hurt you to learn martial arts or something."

Kaoru shook his head "But it's not like we're going to force you to learn it."

I gestured my hand to them "See! Even they agree..."

But they interrupted by saying "Besides, that's not the real issue, here."

I looked at them confused as Hikaru said "To be honest, we were all a little worried about how recklessly you acted."

I scoffed "recklessly?"

Haruhi stated "What do you mean? I didn't cause you guys any trouble or anything."

The twins sighed and shrugged. Hunny looked at Haruhi and said "That's not true, Haru-chan. I think you should apologize, 'kay? You made us all worried, especially Tama-chan. I think you need to apologize to him the most."

He looked at me and said "and you to Mari-chan, you scared us as well."

By this point I was clenching my fists to avoid shouting at them but I couldn't hold it in any longer. I stood up in anger and threw my napkin down onto the table.

"Are you guys insane are what?! How dare you say we acted 'recklessly'! Or anything like that! We didn't do anything wrong, all we did was protect those girls and ourselves from those perverts! You guys were quite far from us to come and get you! If we did come and get you by the time we got back I think far worse could have happened to those girls! I understand that we scared you and I'm sorry but we don't always need boys to rescue us! Do you not understand how sexist you guys sound?!"

Everyone stared at me in shock. The boys all looked down and said "we're sorry."

I looked at them in shock as well as Hikaru began "we're sorry, we don't mean to sound sexist."

Kaoru continued "but we've been brought up in an environment where girls do need our help all the time and we have to save them."

I sighed and rubbed my temples. Haruhi spoke up "guys I'm sorry I scared all of you today. I didn't mean to."

I then said "I'm sorry to, I didn't mean to yell at you but I just hate sexism."

The twins grabbed Haruhi and I as they and Hunny started nuzzling us "Apology accepted, you little mutts." Hikaru cooed.

"You're so cute. We forgive you." Kaoru added.

Haurhi then started going pale as the twins asked "Is something wrong?"

Haruhi grumbled "I'm not feeling so good."

She looked like she was going to be sick. I grabbed her hand and ran back to our room. I took her into the bathroom as she threw up down the toilet. I rubbed her back and cleaned her up when she finished. I sat her down onto the bed as she said to me

"can you apolagize to Kyoya for me please?"

I nodded and asked "what about Tamaki?"

She sighed "if he wants to talk to me he can." I nodded and went to look for Kyoya's room.

* * *

I looked in everyone room and finally found it after 10 attempts I knocked on the door as he shouted "come in!"

I opened the door but saw a shirtless man rubbing his head with a towel. I bowed "I apologize, sir. I didn't mean to intrude."

He replied "Don't be silly. It's just me." I looked at him carefully and recognized him "Kyoya senpai? Wow I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses on."

_He looks damn good with and without them...no stop thinking pervy thoughts Maria. _

I shook my head and said "look Kyoya, me and Haruhi are sorry for scaring everyone today."

He looked at me and got up "Thanks, but I wasn't especially worried."

I sighed in relief as he drank some of his water. "Although, because of you, I had to send each of the girls a bouquet of flowers to apologize. They've been looking forward to this trip and we don't wanna disappoint them."

We walked over to me as I replied "I'll pay you back for the flowers, senpai. Haruhi won't be able to afford to."

He put his hand on the light switch and stated "Each bouquet cost me 50,000. That's a grand total of 600,000 yen, Maria."

He switched the lights off as I looked at him confused "Uh, why'd you turn the lights off?"

He bent down to me and said "If you want to, you can pay me back with your body."

_Say what?! Bloody pervert! _

He grabbed my wrist and I yelped a bit as he pinned me down on his bed. He held himself above me as smirked "Surely, you are so naive that you actually believe a person's sex doesn't matter. You've left yourself completely defenseless against me."

_Why the little...wait...I know what he's doing. But I'm afraid I'm gonna have to show him my point of view. _

I looked up at him and grinned "is that so?"

Before he could answer I kicked him in the crotch causing him to loosen his grip on me as he groaned in pain. This gave me my chance, I swung him onto his back and pinned him down and I held myself above him.

I smirked "now what were you saying about me being naive? It looks like I have the upper hand now Kyoya."

He looked at me in shock as I smiled "But wouldn't of done it, Kyoya senpai. I know. Because it wouldn't do you any good. You wouldn't gain anything from it. But you can't go around saying that we girls are weaker than boys. We are capable of looking after ourselves, but I understand where you guys are coming from and I respect that now."

He grinned at me and said "You're right. You're a fascinating young woman, Maria."

I let him go and sat up as he did the same. I smiled at him "But I've learned something from this. I guess I never realized what a nice guy you are, senpai. I know what you're doing. You're just trying to prove what Tamaki senpai said earlier."

He put his glasses on and looked at me, I continued "I know that you're trying to prove his point that you're just posing as the bad guy."

He got up from his bed as we heard a knock at the door. "Kyoya? Do you have any lotion? This sunburn is worse than I..."

Tamaki walked in and saw me in here with him.

_Well this is awkward. _

Tamaki glared at Kyoya and shouted "You bastard!"

Kyoya came over and shoved the lotion in Tamaki's face "Here. Use as much as you want, you big goof."

* * *

_Third person POV_

Kyoya shut the dor behind him. He leant against the wall for a minute as he remembered what Maria said to him. He smirked and walked down the hallway with his hands in his pockets.

He said to himself "Nothing to be gained from it, huh? An interesting thought in its own way."

He smiled and went to find the others in the dining room.

* * *

_Maria's POV_

I looked outside to see the thunder and lightning. _I hope Haruhi's ok..._I thought to myself.

Tamaki came over to me and asked "What were you doing alone with him?"

I looked at him and said "Nothing, really."

He waved his hand in my face and ranted "You expect me to believe that nothing was going on? You were alone in his bedroom. And why were the lights out? Don't you lie to me."

He looked down at the ground and sighed "Never mind. You've been through a lot today. I'm sure you're tired. You should get some sleep."

I didn't like being in a fight with Tamaki so I grabbed his shirt and said "wait Tamaki!"

He stopped and looked at me. I looked at him and sighed "look, I'm sorry that I scared you today. But I've been taught to protect myself in those kinds of situations, besides if Haruhi and I did come to get you guys I think far worse could have happened to those girls by the time we got back. Me and Haruhi have fended for ourselves since we were little, so we don't need to rely on others."

He looked at me at first in shock and then hugged me tight "I understand now, Maria. I'm sorry, I acted the way I did. You grew up without relying on anyone else."

He let me go and smiled "friends?"

I smiled and shook his hand "Friends. Hey maybe you should go talk to Haruhi now, I know she wants to talk to you."

He blushed lightly and left to go to Haruhi in her room. I went to the dining room and sat with the guys for a few minutes. When I saw the thunder and lightning I said to them "

look, I've spoken to Tamaki and we're ok now. He's now with Haruhi. We should go check on them."

They all nodded as we went to mine and Haruhi's room. Hikaru began "Are you sure it's a good idea?"

"To leave the two of them alone?" Kaoru finished.

Kyoya shrugged "She's with our prince, Tamaki. What could possibly go wrong?"

The twins knocked on the door and said "Hey, boss? We're coming in."

They opened the door and we found Tamaki with Haruhi...who was wearing a blindfold and earplugs.

Tamaki said to Haruhi "With the blindfold, you can't see anything, and earplugs help muffle any sound."

Haruhi smiled "Wow! Yeah, you're right."

_Now if I were any other girl I would have taken this the wrong way...but I think Tamaki's knows Haruhi's fear of thunder and lightning now and was trying to help her. That's very nice of him. _

Unfortunatly for everyone else they got the wrong idea. Hikaru said "You nasty pervert."

Tamaki looked at us in shock as Kaoru said "What kind of foreplay is that?"

I laughed as Tamaki panicked "It's not like that! It's not what you think!"

That next day we all got in the car to leave...well Tamaki was outside as Hikaru said to Haruhi "You better watch your back, Haruhi."

"I never have pegged the boss as an S&M pervert."Kaoru added.

Tamaki growled "I told you, it wasn't like that at all!"

Haruhi looked at him unimpressed "I see. Well now I know what S&M is. I can't believe I almost let you get away with it."

Tamaki shouted "I wasn't doing anything freaky. I was trying to help you."

Kyoya said to the driver "Let's go."

The driver started driving as Tamaki was running behind us "Hey! Don't leave without me! Wait you, guys!"

I laughed and asked Kyoya "how long are we gonna make him run for?"

He chuckled "not long, just until he's out of energy."

I looked at Haruhi and whispered "look, I know he knows your fear. And I honestly doubt he was doing some S&M thing with you. I think he was really trying to help you."

She looked at me in realization and smiled. The twins then looked at Haruhi and asked "So Haruhi, what are you afraid of?"

Haruhi obviously didn't want to answer and I decided to step in. "Alright I'll tell you my fear."

Everyone looked at me as I sighed "I have arachnophobia...a fear of spiders."

They all looked at me in shock and mentally slapped themselves for not figuring out that obvious fear as I rested my head back and fell asleep.

**A/N: Wow I am on a roll! Two chapters in one weekend! Awesome! But there is a reason for it. It's my birthday next Friday so I'm gonna be busy next weekend with my sleepover. Oh btw I know that this chapter is different from the Anime/Manga. But I didn't really like what they were suggesting about girls being weak so I decided to change it a bit. I hope you liked it :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I sat back in my chair, relaxed and calm. For some reason there were no lessons today...but I wasn't complaining it's quite nice to relax for a while. Haruhi sat next to me and frowned "Why aren't we working? I thought that was part of going to school."

I looked at her dumbfounded "Are you kidding? I mean I do like to work but it's nice to relax once in a while."

Haruhi shrugged "Yeah I guess...but I just want to know why classes we're cancelled."

Two girls who were standing in front of us turned around as one asked "You mean, no one told you?"

The other girl stated "It's going to be crazy around here for the next two days. Ouran is hosting an exposition for the cultural clubs."

The other girl continued "Drama and choral clubs from a bunch of other schools have been invited. It's a big event this school hosts annually."

"Is that so?" Haruhi asked.

They nodded as I yelped "Yes this is going to be perfect! I can catch up on work I've missed...and even get ahead of others."

The girls giggled as the twins suddenly came over to Haruhi "Go buy some more, Haruhi."

I looked at them confused "What? More coffee? But she only got some the other day."

Haruhi frowned "Why do I have to go get it?"

Hikaru stated "Because you're the only commoner. No one else knows where to buy it apart from Maria, but we need her to set up the club this afternoon."

Kaoru jumped in and said "We've even been serving it to our guest lately. Besides, it's part of your job."

Haruhi sighed and moaned "But the cultural club exposition starts soon."

Hikaru and Kaoru picked Haruhi up and carried her to the door. Hikaru smiled "Yeah, but it's not mandatory. So if you're not interested, you don't have to go."

Kaoru added "And with that being said,"

They dropped Haruhi at the door and waved "Be careful out there."

_Damn those jerks...I'm running out of torture methods for those two. _

Haruhi frowned and walked out to get some coffee. Suddenly the twins grabbed my arms and yelled "Time to set up the club Maria! Remember it's cosplay day!"

_Oh yeah I almost forgot. I hate Wednesdays. _

They dragged me to the club as Tamaki squealed "Oooo Maria I think you're gonna like our theme today! It's knights and princesses! We have a lovely princess dress for you! So go get changed!"

I looked at it and tried to run away "You won't catch me dead in that thing! I'll never wear it!"

But the twins grabbed me and threw me into the changing room with the dress. _I hate this dress!_

I sighed and put the dress on unwillingly. I looked in the mirror and felt like crying, it was a long pink dress which showed a bit too much cleavage for my liking. And to top it all off a pink tiara to match..._God I hate my life sometimes. _I walked out and the guys were all dressed as knight in shining armor...literally.

Hunny saw me and hugged me tight "wow you look so pretty Mari-chan! I knew pink would suit you!"

I patted his head "Thanks Hunny, I'm glad you like it."

The other boys looked at me and Tamaki jumped in excitement "Ooo you really do look like a princess! It's so cute!"

Hikaru smirked "Our mother designed the dress just for you."

Kaoru finished "We showed her a picture of you and she said you would be great as a model."

By this point my eye was twitching like mad. I glared at them and said "Do this to me again...and you are gonna wish you never met me."

Tamaki and the twins ran away crying as Kyoya came up to me. He smirked "Be careful what you say Maria, you still owe us money remember."

I growled "I know...but I look ridiculous, this dress is showing too much cleavage "

Kyoya looked at my chest and looked away quickly. I thought I saw a blush playing up on his faced but I shook it off. Not long after all the guests came in, some asked me where Haruhi was while others told me how cute I looked in the dress. I had to grit my teeth through that...all the girls left about an hour later and we all relaxed.

Just before we were going to clear up the door opened to reveal two girls in uniforms I didn't recognize As usual the boys welcomed them and Tamaki put on his act

"Well, well, well. I see you ladies are from another school. I certainly hope we haven't startled you. We love first-time guests. I'm glad you've come, princesses. My darlings, even if the world were to be destroyed, I'd put my life on the line as your faithful knight and servant. I will protect you."

_Good grief..._

But then one of the girls laughed "Oh my, do you really think you'll be able to protect us? That's awfully arrogant of you. Wouldn't you agree? You think that's what a woman wants to hear. Well you're wrong."

The other girl smirked "Come on. Give him a break, sister Suzuran. Men are just lowly life forms who don't care about anything other than perpetuating their testosterone latent image by protecting us. He's actually attempting to disguise the fact that he's weak and unable to even protect himself."

_Ok that was really cool that they didn't give in to Tamaki's act but ouch that's a bit harsh. _

Tamaki frowned "Don't you think that's a little harsh? Fine then. What do a woman like you want to hear?"

Just then we turned to see a woman standing...holding Haruhi's hand! "Maybe, something like I would never leave my lover alone. If we fight, it'll be together. If we fail, we fail together. Even if I were to die, I promise you that I will never leave your side, my love."

Haruhi just stared at her confused as the girl named Hingiku said "Benibara, we thought you'd never show."

The other girl named Suzuran asked "What are we going to do with you? So tell us where you found this lovely young lady."

_What?! How the hell did they know that! _

The tall girl called Benibara smiled "I just met outside of the school. She may be dressed as a boy, but I knew the truth. She has such pretty maidenly eyes."

She pulled Haruhi close as Haruhi just said "Thanks, I guess."

Just then all of those girls started stroking Haruhi's legs and arms! Hinagiku smiled "Wow, her skin is incredibly soft."

Suzuran agreed "Isn't it, though. I think this one's going to be a little diamond in a rock."

Tamaki noticed this and ran to them screaming "Don't go touching my Haruhi without asking my permission!"

But Benibara punched him away "Leave her alone."

Tamaki grabbed his face in shock and cried "She punched me. She's so violent."

One of the girls noticed me and smiled "Oh look, isn't she just amazing?"

The three girls came over to me and stroked my skin "She's so pretty, such a heavenly face." Hinagiku said.

_This is really uncomfortable...help me. _

Kyoya looked at them and asked "Those uniforms. I assume you, ladies are from Lobelia girls' academy." _Thank God for Kyoya!_

They stopped stroking me as Benibara smiled "That's correct."

Just then they ripped off their clothes to reveal some weird costumes. And they started singing!

_Note to self...never do drugs. _

"St. Lobelia academy, high school 2nd-year, Benio Amakusa."

"2nd-year student, Chizuru Maihara."

"1st-year student Hinako Tsuwabuki."

After introducing themselves Benibara finally said "We are the members of St. Lobelia academy's white lily league, also known as the Zuka club!"

Tamaki looked at them bewildered "The Zuka club?" Before I could say anything the twins started laughing their asses off.

Hikaru laughed "Oh man, what a stupid name. The Zuka club. My stomach hurts!"

Koaru clutched his stomach in laughter "The Zuka club. That's priceless. And they had those get-ups under their uniforms."

_Yeah how did they get those on under their uniforms anyway? _

My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar annoying sound "You shouldn't underestimate the Zuka club."

And once again Renge came up on her giant machine and sipped her coffee.

_If she does that again...she is sooo dead. _

Renge continued "I may not know much about instant coffee, but I'm fascinated with girls' schools. St. Lobelia academy, it is truly a woman's world there. The Zuka club is a group of strong young maidens who consider women to be superior in every way.

"The club prides itself on its 30 year history. It's a society of maidens, by maidens, for maidens. The Zuka club activities include maidens' tea parties, the maiden debate forum, and most importantly, musical reviews performed by the society's top members."

_Hmmm sounds like my kind of school...although their sexist to boys their ideas are pretty good. _

Kyoya had taken off his armor suit, as had everyone else, and said "You sure have a vast world of knowledge, Renge."

Renge sat on her machine again and sighed "Well, I've always admired St, lobelias. I just couldn't go to school there, though. What would I do without any boys?"

_That explains soooo much! _

I snuck away to avoid anymore mischief and found Haruhi in the little kitchen...yes they have a little kitchen in a music room. The kitchen isn't very big, it's a box room with just a few appliances such as a kettle and a toaster.

Haruhi was making coffee and was almost finished, she looked at me and shrugged "I thought I would make them some coffee, they are guests after all."

I giggled and imitated Tamaki "Awww your so cute Haruhi!"

She rolled her eyes at me "Whatever."

I then saw some biscuits I baked the other day and said "Hey maybe I should give them some of my biscuits as well."

She nodded and put the tea on the tray. I placed some biscuits onto a plate and we took the refreshments to the girls. Haruhi walked up to them shyly "Excuse me, I made some coffee. Would you ladies like to have some?"

I added "And I made some biscuits, would you like some?"

Benibara dramatically smiled "Oh yes. Aren't you this sweetest things?"

The three girls took their drinks and some biscuits as Suzuran said "You two are real pearls among swine."

Benibara sipped her drink and added seductively "You know, coffee made by a maiden always has a more fragrant aroma."

Haruhi looked at her confused "But this stuff is just instant."

Hinagiku stepped beside me and asked "How about the five of us have a little tea party?"

I couldn't reply, I was in so much shock these girls were hitting on me and Haruhi.

But Tamaki's screaming shook me out of my shock "You, girls have it all wrong! Don't you see there's nothing to gain in a romantic relationship just between two women? If that were the case, why did God create Adam and Eve?"

He suddenly stopped as I saw his finger in the hot coffee he ran around screaming "Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot..." and tried to blow on it.

Haruhi knelt down to him and sighed "You gotta be more careful, Senpai."

He blushed as she wrapped a bandage around his burnt finger. Tamaki looked at it in shock "Thanks, Haruhi. Do you always carry bandages around with you?"

Haruhi laughed "Nah, the supermarket was giving them out when I purchased instant coffee. You always get free stuff at the supermarket."

_That is very true, just the other day I got a free hairband...even though I don't need it as I have a bob. _

Benibara stood above them and shook her head "This little conversation doesn't seem to be going anywhere."

Suddenly she grabbed Haruhi's hand and pulled her up towards her, and she did the same to me. "Now that we know what's going on, we can't allow these maidens to stay here. We'll prepare their paperwork and have them transfer to Lobelia at once and welcome them into the Zuka club." What?! Wait a second!

I got out of her grasp and waved my hands defensively "Hey just wait a second, will you. There seems to have been some misunderstandings here. I mean, first of all, you called senpai a halfer."

Hunny came up behind me and stated "Because he is a halfer. He's half French and half Japanese."

_Not helping Hunny..._

Haruhi got out of Benibara's grasp and added "Oh well. Anyway, I don't think it's fair for you to pick on the host club just because you don't think they have the same history as you do."

Hikaru began "We barely have any history. We're just founded two years ago."

Kaoru finished "Yeah, the boss created it whenever he started high school here."

Haruhi sighed and wiggled her finger, she had obviously given up but kept on trying anyway "Be that as it may, saying their club activity is only held to satisfy their appetites is just wrong. I mean, it's not like the host club's charging their guest or anything."

Kyoya said from his laptop "Well, I wouldn't call it a charge. We do have a point system. We offer priority services based on the winning bids of auctions held on our web site. Check this out, Haruhi. Your used mechanical pencil just sold for a winning bid of 30,000 yen. Good for you."

What?! Haruhi and I ran over to the laptop and saw that her pencil had really been sold! Haruhi shouted "What! But I thought I lost that pencil. Why didn't you tell me about this before, Kyoya senpai? I have no idea you're collecting money."

Kyoya calmly replied "So, you thought we were all just working here as volunteers? Why? It's not much because of expensive organizing events. We happen to make a small profit from the on line auction."

I knew that it wasn't my pencil but that was awful, I shouted in anger "You can't sell other people's thing without asking permission. That's stealing!"

The twins pointed out from behind us "It wasn't stealing. She dropped that pencil on the floor."

We turned to them and growled in anger. Tamaki came over and cried to Haruhi "Waah. I'm sorry, Haruhi. It's not like we were hiding it from you. Here, you can have mine. It's got a cute teddy bear on it."

Haruhi bluntly stated "Senpai, I don't want your pencil."

Tamaki smiled, trying to make everything better, and danced "Then make it up to you. How about I do this? I'll tell you the secrets to my success in my fondest memories."

Haruhi quickly replied "Not to be rude, senpai, but I'm not really interested in that information."

Tamaki gasped in shock and stepped back "Not interested." He crouched down into his emo corner and the girls surrounded us.

Suzuran patted our shoulders "Oh, you poor dears. I can't believe they're deceiving you."

Hinagiku shook her head in disgust "Hey, why don't you just dump these losers and come with us?"

Benibara raised her hand calmly and said "Hold on, Hinagiku. These young maiden's had quite a day. We'll give you some time to think about it. I'll come back for your answer tomorrow. Well then, adieu."

They waved goodbye and twirled their way out of the room. Haruhi and I turned to the boys in anger.

Haruhi spat "I better be going. I've got some thinking to do."

She started to leave as I shook my head at them "What is wrong with you?"

I ran after Haruhi and slammed the door behind us.

* * *

We first of all walked in silence, just trying to get the anger out of our system. We sat at a window ledge and looked out of the window.

Haruhi mumbled "I can't believe they did that. I liked that pencil. Maybe I should go to Lobelia."

I looked at her in shock, I mean I know they did a bad thing but that's a bit extreme. I rubbed my temples and sighed "I think we should go home and breath for a while, we can't think straight at the moment as we're angry, don't make rash decisions all of a sudden."

Haruhi nodded as we walked home, I dropped her at her house and I went to mine not long after. I found my mum in her usual place on the sofa. I slumped down next to her and my mum instantly picked up my bad mood.

"What's wrong dear? Did something happen at school today?"

I nodded and told her about the girls from Lobelia and what the guys did. At first my mum just absorbed it in, but she then smiled "Honey, I don't think you need to worry. These boys seem like proper gentlemen and they wouldn't do anything to hurt you two. I know that what they did was unfair but they could have done far worse. Besides at least they told you about what they did."

She was right of course, at least they had the guts to admit it to us. I hugged my mum and said "Thanks mum, your the best."

We ate dinner soon after and I went straight to bed.

* * *

The next day I put on my skinny blue jeans, a black tank top and some black converses to match. I picked up Haruhi and we walked to school together, as classes were still cancelled we made our way to the host club. I tapped Haruhi's shoulder and smiled

"I'm not leaving, I mean I know they did a bad thing but they would neer hurt us on purpose..."

Before I could finish Haruhi interrupted "I'm not either, to be honest I almost forgot about it."

We laughed as we heard a familiar voice say to us "Hi young maidens."

We looked to see the three Lobelia girls from yesterday standing in front of us.

Hinagiku smiled "We've come for your decision. Are you prepared to leave?"

Suzuran grabbed my arm and nodded "We're ready to confront those ouran host club idiots and set things straight once and for all."

Haruhi looked at them confused and asked "Set what straight?"

Benibara grabbed our arms and pulled us to the Host club "That you should come with us and go to school with your own kind."

She pushed open the door but we all looked in a bit confused. The room was pitch black and I couldn't see anyone. Before we said anything we all heard male voices singing

"Ouran!" Hikaru?

"Ouran!" Kaoru?

"Ouran!" Mori?

"Ouran!" Kyoya?

"Ouran!" Hunny?

"Ouran!" Tamaki?

The lights suddenly switched on to reval...they guys dressed up as girls (apart from Mori) singing "Host club welcomes you!"

We just stood there in shock, not knowing what to say. I couldn't get any words out of my mouth and Tamaki danced over to us "Oh, Haruhi, Maria, welcome back."

Hunny twirled to us and giggled "Look, I'm a princess now. Are I cute?"

Benibara growled at them "What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to make fun of woman kind?"

Tamaki chuckled "What? No, that's not it at all. Everything's going according to plan. Our strategy is guaranteed to make even a crying child smile. It's the freebie campaign."

_It's a what?! _

Tamaki continued "My dears, you ladies have all lived sheltered lives at Lobelia, so you might not know the commoners are weak. They have a weakness for free things. Haruhi, Maria, you may be distracted by the Zuka club. But choose us. And you gain not only host club full of brothers but sisters as well. See. This way, you can experience feminine bonding while staying in the host club. Is that a great idea? Aren't I pretty?"

He moved away from us as Hikaru and Kaoru came over to us and said "We're the Hitachiin sisters. Which one of us is prettier?"

Hikaru nudged us and smiled "I'm just teasing you."

Kaoru giggled in a girly manner as Hunny said to us "Listen, Haru-chan, Mari-chan. You can call me big sis from now on."

Mori came over shaking his tambourine while Kyoya stood next to him holding a fan over his face.

Benibara shouted angrily at them "Why you. Do you idiots really think you can win her over like this? I've had enough of your fooling around."

I couldn't hold it in any longer I fell about laughing as Haruhi did to, she laughed "This is too much. I don't even get what you're trying to do. I knew you were a bunch of goofballs, but geez..."

We fell to the floor laughing as Hikaru, Kaoru and Hunny said to us "Are we really that funny? Call me big sister. Come on, do it. Just say it. Big sister. Say it please."

It made us laugh even more!

I wiped the tears from my eyes and chuckled "Come on. Cut it out. What were you thinking? What's got into you guys?"

Hikaru looked at us and frowned "We did this because we don't want you to leave the host club."

Haruhi and I looked at them and smiled, we got up as Benibara asked us "Well, maidens, have you made a choice?"

Haruhi looked at them and said "Yeah, we have. I'm sorry but your club's not for us. We think the idea of a girls' school is great. And your views are very unique and interesting. But we came to this school with a goal on a plan for our while we appreciate your offer, we really already knew that we were never going to leave Ouran academy."

I nodded in agreement as Tamaki came up to us "Hold on. If you knew you weren't going to leave, then why did you act so angry yesterday?"

Haruhi looked a him and shouted "How would you feel if I stole something of yours without asking you? I really liked that mechanical pencil. It was easy to write with."

Tamaki cried again and cupped Haruhi's face "I'm sorry. But I was nice and I offered my teddy-bear pencil in return, and you said you didn't want it."

Haruhi buntly replied "That's right and I still don't want it."

I chuckled and suddenly had a great idea, but before I could carry it out I heard Benibara state "We're not going to give up on you, maidens. I swear this to you. Some day, we'll come and rescue you from this place. And when we do, we'll abolish the Ouran host club. Well, adieu."

The girls twirled out of the building again and I turned around to the sound of Renge coming up from her machine sipping coffee "And so, a new rival, the Zuka club has appeared. From this point on, the story's gonna get more exciting. What's gonna happen to our beloved host club boys next? Hang in there, host club. Don't give up, boys."

Tamaki waved his fist at her and shouted "Hey, it's not your job to cook things up."

Suddenly he slipped on a banana peel and fell on his back.

_What is up with banana's in this place?_

I finally saw my chance, I grabbed my phone when Tamaki got up and pointed my camera at them "Hey guys! Smile for the camera!"

They turned to me without realizing as I took the picture. "Oh revenge is as sweet as chocolate!"

I looked at the boys who started running after me, I ran out of the club laughing and shouted back "Don't worry guys! I'll make sure the bidding on this photo is high!"

They screamed as I continued laughing and running from the boys in drag.

**A/N: Hahahaha I laughed so much at this episode! I'm laughing now just thinking about those boys in drag. I would actually love to take a picture of them like that. Anyway I hope you like it and stay tuned for next weeks chapter :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Another beautiful day and since it was Sunday there was no school so Haruhi and I went down to the market to get some shopping. We were carrying our bags and making our way back to Haruhi's house.

Haruhi beamed "That was some sale. There's no better time to hit the supermarket than a Sunday morning. Now all I've gotta do when I get home is clean and do some laundry."

I laughed "Man your such a workaholic Haruhi, just don't over do it ok?"

Haruhi suddenly stopped and looked at her house. I looked in her direction and saw loads of people gathered at her house.

"What's going on? Why are they in front of my apartment?" Haruhi questioned.

I shrugged as a man opened the door to the car "Here you are, Master."

_Oh no, it can't be..._

But I was right. All of the host club members stepped out of the car looking rather snazzy in their clothes I must admit. They all stared at Hauhi's house for a minute as Kaoru said "So, this is where Haruhi lives?"

Hikaru continued "It's pretty big, huh? Bigger than I thought it would be."

Hunny ran around giggling "Yeah, look at all the rooms!"

Kyoya simply stated to everyone "This building is what you might call an aggregate commoner dwelling. Haruhi's home is just one of the many units in this building."

_Well someone's done their homework! _

Haruhi put her head against a lamp post and looking depressed. "Why did this have to happen to me? I was supposed to relax."

I patted her shoulder and said "Look I was planning to go straight home but it looks like you need me here so I'll help you through this."

Haruhi looked at me and smiled "And this is why you're my best friend."

I chuckled and looked at Tamaki, who was ordering the others around "Don't say anything that might offend Haruhi or her father and cause them to ask us to leave."

Haruhi looked at hem irritated and shouted "Well it's too late for that. Go away."

Tamaki turned around in shock as they all stared at Haruhi's pink dress. Apart from Kyoya and Mori they all said "That pink dress is pretty cute."

Haruhi ignored the comment and cursed "Shut up! Get the hell out of here!"

Tamaki yelped in shock and cried "Haruhi's so mad she actually cursed at us."

Hikaru and Kaoru simply raised their hands in defense and stated "Hey, it wasn't us."

Suddenly Haruhi's landlady came up to us and asked "Excuse me, Haruhi, but is everything all right?"

Haruhi greeted the landlady and she continued "Those young men are driving such a fancy foreign cars. They are not Yakuza, are they?"

Haruhi shook her head "No, they're not."

The woman asked "Do you want me to call the police for you?"

But then Tamaki turned on his charm and held the woman's hand "Pleased to meet you, madam. My name is Suou, and I'm one of Haruhi's friends."

I pulled Haruhi away from them as the woman giggled "Really? My goodness, why aren't you just adorable?"

Haruhi grumbled "And he's got her."

I sighed as Tamaki continued with his charm "We were just stopping by. We didn't mean to cause a scene. I'm sorry."

The woman blushed and giggled "Oh it's no problem."

She came over to Haruhi and said "I'll stop by later with some snacks for you and your friends. See you later."

She ran off as Haruhi went upstairs to her apartment and the others followed. Haruhi stated to them "Okay, here is the deal. I'm only giving you guys a quick peek, 3 seconds. And you all go home, got it?"

Just then Hunny showed Hauhi a box of sweets he bought for her "Look, I brought you a gift, Haru-chan. I know how you love cake. There is both chocolate and strawberry. I think we should have some."

Haruhi, being the glutton she is, sighed "Fine. I guess I'll make some tea." She put her key in the lock and opened the door to her apartment.

Haruhi didn't have a big apartment but it was cosy and just the right size for two people. I had always liked her home. Hikaru said something but I didn't hear it, but it must have been bad as he was shushed by Tamaki.

_Well he's lucky I didn't hear it then..._

Kyoya looked around and shifted his glasses "A wood-built, two-bed room unit. That's normal for commoner family of two."

_Thank you Albert Einstein..._

Kaoru looked up at the ceiling and stated "Haruhi is such a pipsqueak. At least, we know she won't hit her head on the low ceilings."

I'm not sure whether she would be offended by that...or take it as a compliment.

Hunny giggled "Wow, I think it's a super cute little room."

Haruhi looked at them bluntly "You don't have to struggle to compliment it."

Haruhi and I took our shoes off and walked in, Hunny looked at us and asked "Hold on. Are we supposed to take off our shoes, too?"

Haruhi nodded "Please if you don't mind."

Hunny looked up at Mori and smiled "Did you hear that? We have to take our shoes off. It's kinda like going to a dojo, huh?"

Mori nodded and said "Yeah."

Hikaru took his shoes off and asked Haruhi "Do you have any slippers for us, Haruhi?"

Kaoru pointed "Wait. The rooms are covered with tatami-mat."

Hikaru looked at the floor and then shrugged "In that case, we don't need slippers."

Hunny, Hikaru and Kaoru walked past Haruhi into the living room and said together "Great. Thanks for inviting us in."

Mori followed and said "Yeah, thanks."

_I'm just worried about his height, he's so tall he might hit his head! _

Tamaki followed and smiled "It's greatly appreciated."

Kyoya went in last and added "Yes, thanks, Haruhi."

While they all complained about the room size I whispered to Haruhi "Can I go home now?"

Haruhi stared at me and cried "You can't leave me here with them alone! Please I need you to help me through this visit."

I sighed "Alright, but you owe me big time."

Before she could answer I saw Tamaki hugging his knees to his chest and saying "This place is quite unpleasant. But I think I may underestimate the commoner housing. I know it's a tight fit in here men but just pull your knees in and sit gym style. Commoners have specially developed this position to conserve space."

I looked back at Haruhi with a raised eyebrow, she frowned and rubbed her temples as she whispered "I just gotta get through this visit. I should've expected this from them."

I nodded "I bet this was all Tamaki's doing. He would have persuaded everyone to do this."

Haruhi hung her head and said "I'm gonna go make us some tea."

"Do you want some help Haruhi?" I asked.

She nodded as Hikaru gave us a little bag "Hey, here is an idea. Why don't you make us this? It's black tea that our father brought us as a souvenir from Africa. Here. Try it."

I took the bag and said "Oh sure. No problem."

Kaoru added with a smile "It's best served as milk tea. Do you have milk?"

Haruhi put her fingers on her chin and asked herself "I think. When was the last time that I bought some milk?"

I shook my head "You only bought some the other day. You really are forgetful."

Haruhi poked her tongue out at me as she got some cups out from the cupboard. I put some of the tea in the cups and Haruhi poured the boiling water into them.

Finally we added some milk, but suddenly we heard Kaoru cry from behind us "I'm sorry, Haruhi and Maria. You don't have to go to all that trouble. We don't need any tea. We'd be fine with a glass of water."

I looked at him confused and stated "What? It's not trouble. Besides, we've already made it."

Haruhi took the tea into the living room as I got some plates for the cake Hunny bought.

Haruhi placed the tea down in front of everyone "Okay, guys, the tea is ready. I'm sorry that not all of the cups match."

I placed all the plates down as well and sat next to Haruhi. Hunny beamed at us "Come on, Haru-chan and Mari-chan. You can choose your cakes first."

We looked at him and asked "Are you sure, Honey senpai?"

Hikaru stated "Go ahead. We're rich. We eat this kind of stuff all the time."

_Gee you sure know a way to a woman's heart don't you?_

Kaoru and Tamak shushed him as Haruhi said "Um in that case, I'll have the strawberry."

I looked at the cakes and said "I'll have the chocolate please."

Hunny passed me the chocolate cake and I started eating. I thought to myself _this would be even better with some strawberries. _Just as I said that I saw some going into my plate.

I looked up at Mori who said "You like strawberries, right? You can have mine."

I smiled at him "Thanks. That's nice of you, Mori senpai."

He smiled back and gave some to Haruhi as well. I heard crying and screaming which I chose to ignore as it had something to do with Tamaki and the twins.

* * *

About 20 minutes later we all finished our tea and cake. Hunny patted his stomach "Ah, eating all that cake sure wet my appetite."

Hikaru asked "Yeah, isn't it lunchtime about now?"

Tamaki and the twins looked at Haruhi with big smiles on their faces "Well then, what's for lunch."

I looked at them with a sweat-drop "Will you guys quit being so happy-go-lucky all the time, please?"

Kyoya then stood up and said "We'll take care of it. We did drop in unexpectedly. So we'll pay for lunch. Why don't you just order us all some of your favorite sushi?"

_This is nice of him...too nice there has to be a catch. _

Haruhi waved her hands nervously "Thanks, but no thanks. I know that if I let you guys pay, I'll only regret it later."

Kyoya swiped out a gold card from his pocket and stated "Oh don't worry, Haruhi. We'll just pay for it using the profits from the photos of you we auctioned off."

_I knew it was too good to be true. _

Haruhi said "Well if that's what you want, I do have a friend who runs a nice little sushi shop nearby, so I can just give them a call. Their stuff is pretty high-quality."

Tamaki suddenly got a pen and paper and wrote something on it, he handed it to Haruhi. I looked over Haruhi's shoulder and read it "Be careful, Haruhi. Just because the sushi's packaging says premium doesn't mean that it's high-quality."

_Well duh! _

Haruhi scrunched up the paper and threw it in the bin "I'm not stupid. I could figure that out on my own."

Tamaki screamed "How could you do that? Daddy even attempted to look casual not to embarrass you!"

Hunny gleamed at Haruhi and tilted his head "I'd really love it if you make us something for lunch, Haru-chan."

From that followed more screaming from Tamaki and the twins.

_I'm ignoring them...try to stay calm..._

She looked at Hunny and replied "I guess I could whip something up, but it's gonna take me some time."

Hunny yelled with enthusiasm "We can wait!"

Haruhi turned to me and stated "I'm gonna have to go to the supermarket again."

I nodded as Hikaru said "We're coming with you."

Kaoru continued "We want to see a commoners' supermarket."

Hunny jumped up and down in excitment "Me too! Me too!"

Kyoya, who was looking at the books, spoke up "This could be a learning experience."

_This is not going to end well. _

Hikaru and Kaoru put their shoes on and sang "Yay! commoners' supermarket, commoners' supermarket."

Hunny followed with Mori and I went out with Kyoya. I shouted to Haruhi "We'll have for you downstairs."

I went down with Kyoya and met the others downstairs. We stood by the stairs and Hunny grabbed my hand "Mari-chan! What's a commer supermarket like? Is it cool?"

I shrugged "Well I don't find it cool as I go there pretty much everyday. But you might like it Hunny."

* * *

It had been about 5 minutes which was a bit long for someone to come downstairs. The twins shouted "We're gonna go see what's taking them so long."

They ran up the stairs as I shrugged "We might as well follow, I don't really want to stand here all day."

They nodded and followed me up the stairs. When I looked into the apartment Haruhi's dad was standing on Tamaki while the twins introduced themselves.

Kaoru suddenly said to Ranka "He's a pheromone machine. In fact, I bet he's fooled around with more ladies than you can count."

Ranka frowned "He likes to fool around, huh?"

Tamaki got up and shouted "No! I'm not a ladies' man. I'm a nice guy. I care about her."

_Is he confessing? _

Tamaki continued "I'm being completely honest here. I care about Haruhi like she's my own daughter."

I decided to step in and ease the situation a bit. "Hey Ranka, it's been a while."

I waved as he looked at me and gasped gleefully "Ooo my dear it's been a while, I'm sorry I haven't been around much but my work keeps me so busy. How are you deary?"

I talked with Mr. Fujioka until he looked at the others in the doorway "Well don't be shy boys come in, I promise I don't bite."

Everyone came in and sat down at the table. Ranka finally said "I get it. You must be the host club I've heard so much about. You certainly are a fine looking bunch of young men. I'm not sure which of you I like best. What about you, dear? I'll tell you what. Why don't you boys go ahead and call me Ranka? That's the professional name I use at the transvestite bar I work at."

Hunny asked "Professional name? You mean like a stage name?"

Ranka nodded "Exactly like that, Mitsukuni."

Hunny asked again "Hold on, how did you know my name, sir?" Ranka chucked and said "You two are 3rd-years Mitsukuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka. And two of you are 1st-years and in the same class as Haruhi. You're the Hitachiin twins. But I'm not sure which one of you is which. I've heard a lot about you."

Hikaru asked confused "What? So Haruhi told you about us?"

Ranka shook his head "No, Kyoya told me about you two over the phone."

He clapped hands with Kyoya and Kyoya said "You know, you really are a beautiful person, Ranka."

_Say what?! _

Tamaki grabbed Kyoya's shoulder from his emo corner as he began "Kyoya."

But before he could finish Kyoya stated "We've been entrusted with the care of his precious daughter. It is only natural that we introduce ourselves and give periodic reports. Ordinarily, that would be your job, wouldn't it?"

_Well that smacked him in the face. _

Ranka laughed "I'm impressed that the club has such a capable president. But wait a minute. You're only the vice-president, aren't you, Kyoya? I guess that president of yours is pretty much good for nothing, huh."

_That's a bit harsh. _

Haruhi screamed at her dad "You never mentioned this to me, dad. Why didn't you say that you've been getting calls from Kyoya senpai?"

Ranka pouted "What am I supposed to do, Haruhi? You rarely tell me anything about school."

Haruhi continued screaming "So that makes it okay to talk behind my back? Come on, senpai. Would you please stop growing mushrooms in other people's closets?"

_Yeah how is Tamaki able to do that anyway? _

Ranka began "Haruhi, the thing about you is...you're cute even when you're angry." He laughed and hugged her tight.

Hikaru looked at them and said "I don't know what it is about him, but Haruhi's dad reminds me of someone."

Kaoru added "This explains why she is so good at handling the boss."

Haruhi got out of her dad's grasp and grabbed my hand to the door. Ranka called out "Wait, Haruhi. Where are you going?"

Haruhi grabbed her bag and said "The supermarket, all right? I have to go shopping and I wanna do it without you guys. So all of you, just stay here and try to behave yourselves."

I was pulled outside with my purse and the door slammed behind us.

* * *

While walking to the supermarket Haruhi sighed "Why didn't he tell me? I have no idea that Kyoya senpai's been calling my dad and giving him updates... and he's accusing Tamaki of sexual harassment."

I looked her her confused "What are you talking about?"

She told me about how Tamaki was paying his respects to her late mother, and he tripped on a banana peel and landed on Haruhi when Ranka walked in.

"Man that's awkward. Poor Tamaki, not the great first impression he was hoping for I bet."

Haruhi chuckled as we arrived at the store. We looked at all of the foods, trying to decide what would be good for lunch. "I don't know what we should have, what about you Haruhi?"

Haruhi shrugged "No idea. I should have asked the guys before we left."

Suddenly we heard a thump behind us, we turned around and found Tamaki on the floor.

"What the? Hey, what are you doing here, senpai?" Haruhi asked.

Tamaki quickly got up and clapped "Oh it looks like you caught me, Haruhi. I followed you here so I can carry your shopping basket. You know, how daddy loves accessories. Now why don't you just hand it over?"

_You know...Tamaki and Ranka have a lot in common. _

Haruhi laughed "You're so weird. What's with the mushrooms?"

I saw Hunny being pushed around in a trolley, Hikaru and Kaoru looked at the instant coffee, and Kyoya talking to himself about coupons "So, does double coupons mean I need two of them?"

I shook my head and went to Kyoya "Not to sound rude but why do you want to know? I mean it's not like you're gonna shop here ever again right?"

He nodded "True. But it's always handy to know these things. You never know when you might need them again."

I shrugged and answered all of Kyoya's questions about food shopping. Haruhi finally bought all of the stuff for a stewpot, thanks to Tamaki, and we all headed home. She started cooking it and we all sat around the table and ate our lunch.

Ranka smiled to Tamaki "Here Tamaki, have some chrysanthemum, your favorite."

_I swear he hates that stuff? _

Poor Haruhi was just sitting here questioning her sanity. After lunch had finished everyone said goodbye to Ranka and me and Haruhi followed the guys downstairs.

Before they left the twins turned to me and asked "So when can we come over to your house Maria?"

I stared at them in both fear and shock. Tamaki added "Oh yeah, now I have my one of my daughter's house I should see yours to."

I couldn't speak. They weren't ready for my life yet...were they?

**A/N: Ooooo cliffhanger. Hehe I'm so evil! Sorry it's kinda late I was super busy at the weekend. Ok I am telling you now that the next chapter isn't going to be episode 11. It's gonna be my own chapter about Maria's home. Yes you finally get to find out. It might even come out tomorrow as it's half term for me (I live in England) Anyway I hope you liked it :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"So when can we come over?" The twins asked again.

I was speechless, there was no way I could let them come in. It might be too awkward.

Haruhi stood in front of me and said "Come on guys, you can't invite yourself to her house. She doesn't have to invite you if she doesn't want to."

But Kyoya argued back "Why? We came here unannounced and you still let us into your home."

Before Haruhi could answer back I put my hand on her shoulder "It's ok Haruhi, it was going to happen sooner or later right?"

I looked at the guys and sighed "Alright, you can come over next Saturday."

Hunny jumped up and down in excitement "Yay I can't wait to meet your family Mari-chan."

They all got into Tamaki's limo and drove away to their homes. Haruhi patted my shoulder and asked "Are you sure about this?"

I nodded "It's only fair, they've seen your home life...now they have to see mine. I just hope they don't feel uncomfortable." I hugged Haruhi goodbye and went home to tell my mum.

* * *

_3rd person POV_

Meanwhile with the boys, they all talked about getting to see Maria's home.

Hikaru began "I wonder what it'll be like?"

Kaoru finished "Her home can't be any smaller than Haruhi's right?"

Tamaki shrugged "Who knows. I just hope she isn't living in poverty. Hey Kyoya do you know her address?"

Kyoya nodded "Well I can get it from the school records. That's how I got Haruhi's."

Hunny giggled "What should I get for Mari-chan? Maybe some chocolates, she loves chocolate."

They all talked fr a while before Kaoru asked "Is it just me? Or did Maria look sad about inviting us over?"

They all stopped and thought about it, Tamaki said "Yeah, now that I think about it she did. Oh no my daughter's living in poverty and she was too scared to admit it!"

Kyoya rolled his eyes "Moron, I highly doubt that. Considering Haruhi lives in quite a stable home for a commoner, she might live in the same conditions."

They all thought about it until they all arrived to their homes.

* * *

_Maria's POV_

The week went all too quickly. All the guys kept on saying to me was how excited they were to go to my house, Haruhi tried to keep me upbeat all week but I couldn't help but worry. Then the day finally arrived. It was Saturday morning and I went shopping with Haruhi.

"Thanks for coming Haruhi, do you think they will like my cooking?"

Haruhi smiled "Of course, your cooking is amazing."

I opened the door to my home and got all the tea cups out to start preparing for when they got here. At around 12pm I heard a car pull up outside my home.

I shook a little as Haruhi grabbed my hand in support "It's gonna be ok."

I nodded and opened the door to see all of the boys standing there with smiles on their faces.

Tamaki beamed "Maria! Haruhi! It's nice to see you! It's great to be here."

Hikaru looked at my home and asked "You don't live in an apartment?"

I shook my head "No, this is a bungalow. It's a bit bigger than Haruhi's house."

Hunny came up to me and handed me a gift "It's for you Mari-chan! I know how you love chocolate, so I bought you a box of chocolates."

I smiled "Awww thank you Hunny that's really sweet of you. Oh won't you guys come in?"

They all walked in as Hunny asked "Do you want us to take of our shoes as well?"

I nodded "If you don't mind."

Hikaru looked at the floor and stated "Hold on the floor isn't make of tatami-mats."

I sighed "Oh yeah, well it's a good thing I bought you guys slippers. I wasn't sure what size you were so I guessed."

I handed them their slippers and they put them on. Surprisingly they fit them all well. They all thanked me and went into the living room and sat on the sofa.

Just then I head my mum's voice "Is that your friends dear?"

I shouted back "Yes it is."

Kyoya asked me "Is that your mum Maria?"

I nodded as my mum said "Let me meet them."

I looked at the direction of the voice in shock "But mum, the doctor said you need to rest."

But my mum argued "Oh boo hoo to what he says, I want to meet them."

I sighed and turned to the guys "Excuse me." I then ran to my mum's bedroom.

* * *

_Tamaki's POV_

I couldn't believe it! I was going to meet Maria's mother. _Ok Tamaki just act cool, don't screw it up like you did at Haruhi's. _

Those two devils then said "I wonder what Maria ment by her mum staying in bed?"

My darling Haruhi turned to them and whispered to us "Ok guys listen, when you meet her mum don't say anything rude and don't act shocked ok?"

I wondered what she was talking about when I suddenly heard shuffling from the other side of the room. We all turned to the sound and saw Maria supporting her mother and she walked with a walking frame.

"Mum I am still against this, I can take you back to bed."

Maria protested but her mum shook her head "nonsense dear. I'm only 40 I may act old but I'm not old at all."

Her mum was in a light pink dressing gown with matching slippers and holding on tightly to her walking frame. _I thought those things were only for old people? _

They finally made it over as Maria helped her mum sit down "Do you need me to adjust the chair mum?"

Her mum nodded "Oh please dear it's hurting my back."

As soon as she said that her chair was adjusted to perfection. I wondered what was wrong with her?

* * *

_Maria's POV_

Everyone was staring at me and my mum, I guess it looked kinda weird to help someone walk and sit down when their only 40.

I finally sat down as my mum said "Well, you boys are fine young chaps aren't you? Now let me guess. You're Hunny, you're Mori, you're the twins Hikaru and Kaoru and you're Tamaki."

I rubbed my temples "Let me guess Kyoya's been in contact with you hasn't he?"

Mum nodded "You were always bright Maria, Kyoya and I have been talking over the phone."

Kyoya smiled "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Claire."

I stared at him in shock "You know her name?"

He nodded "Of course, she insisted on me calling her that."

My mum nodded "Mrs Smith sounds so old doesn't it?"

The twins went to shake my mum's hand "It's nice to meet you Claire. I guess Maria takes her looks after you huh?"

My mum tried to bring her hand up but it shook violently. The twins looked at her in concern as I said "Mum, please don't strain yourself."

She put her hand back down as she said "Maria...have you told them?"

I shook my head as she continued "Well I think you should, your poor friends are looking rather confused."

I looked at them and sighed. "Can I trust you?"

They all nodded as I began "In middle school, just before I came to Ouran, I noticed that my mum wasn't able to move properly. She couldn't walk or move her body parts. Me and dad took her to the doctors and..."

I paused as mum patted my shoulder in reasurance I finished "And my mum was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis."

They all looked at me in shock at first, but then Kaoru asked "Umm...what is Rheumatoid arthritis?"

Kyoya stepped in and said "It is a painful condition, it can cause severe disability and ultimately affects a person's ability to carry out everyday tasks."

Kaoru nodded as Hunny asked "So you can't walk properly?"

Mum shook her head "Unfortunately no, because of my condition I have trouble walking and moving my limbs. My poor baby girl has to do everything for me."

They all looked at me as Kyoya asked "So you do the household chores?"

I nodded "Yes I cook, clean, do the shopping, I help my mum bathe, walk, dress and so on."

Hunny asked in concern "Can't you take some medicines to get better?"

My mum shook her head "I can, but they don't do much. We noticed it quite late and because of that it got aggressive. It can't be cured."

Everyone looked sad as my mum laughed "What's with the sad faces? I'm alive and well, it could be far worse."

That made them smile a bit. I always loved how mum was always so happy, even when she couldn't do anything.

Tamaki then asked "May I ask where is your father Maria?"

I clenched my fists and spat "He can be dead for all I care."

They all looked at me in shock as my mum said "Dear, you might as well tell them."

I sighed and stated "When mum was diagnosed with the condition dad had to work a lot. But none of the money went to her medical expenses...it went to his drinking problem. Every night he would come home reeking of a bar. Finally I came home from school one day and mum was crying...dad had ran off. Not leaving any money for us and abandoning us at our time of need."

Everyone looked at me in shock, my dad was a bastard and he didn't even give me a reason for leaving. I continued "Because we needed to get money in I began working when I had just started Ouran, I work every weekend and as often as I can."

Tamaki looked at me with guilt ridden eyes "And your not working today because of us?"

I didn't say anything and just looked down.

Hunny began crying "Wahh I'm so sorry Mari-chan! I should have thought about you first I'm sorry."

I went over to Hunny and hugged him "It's alright Hunny, please don't cry."

I gave him some tissues and Kaoru asked "Why didn't you tell us before?"

I frowned "Because when people from Middle School found out the other pupils would tease me about my mum, saying how retarded she was that she couldn't even lift a course I gave them a piece of my mind, but it always got me into trouble."

Tamaki, who was sobbing at this point, said "I'm sorry Maria, if I had known I wouldn't have invited myself over."

I looked at everyone who looked really sad and guilty. I smiled and said "But you know, I'm glad you guys did."

They all looked at me in confusion as I continued "I sometimes did want to tell you, but I was scared that you were going to do the same thing those others did. But I should have known that you wouldn't have. I feel so much better now that I have told you, and for that I am grateful."

I bowed my head as Tamaki, Hunny and the twins stared hugging me tightly "Your so cute Maria!"

I chocked "Hey guys! Can't breath!"

Mum laughed "Now let's forget about it and talk about you handsome boys. Tell me about yourselves."

For about an hour we laughed and joked around with each other which made both me and mum happy.

Haruhi smiled to me "I'm glad you feel better now Maria. I'm happy for you."

I hugged Haruhi as I looked at my watch "Oh my God is that the time? It's already 1pm. I should start lunch."

I ran to the kitchen and Haruhi followed to help me.

* * *

_Claire's POV_

My oh my, I didn't realize that they were this handsome. I mean my baby girl did tell me about them a bit but I never imagined them to be such gentlemen. They helped me get comfy, offered my tea in my own house! They were all angels. Suddenly I could hear an angelic voice coming from the kitchen.

Tamaki listened to the sound "Who is that?"

I smiled "Why that's none other than my daughter."

They all looked at me as the twins said "I never knew she could sing."

I laughed "Well, Maria has never been one to boast her talents. She thinks the kitchen in soundproof that's why she sings in there. But please don't say you heard her, she will be upset if you do. She hates having attention on her too much."

They all nodded as Maria came out a little frustrated "Oh man I forgot to buy some fish for the meal. I'll have to quickly go out and get some."

Haruhi came out soon after and asked "Do you want me to come with you?"

Maria shook her head "Nah I'll be fine, I'm only getting some fish quickly then I can finish the meal. I'll be back soon."

She came over and kissed me on the forehead and left the house to go to the shops. I frowned deeply and noticed that the boys were worried about leaving her alone to.

I turned to them and said "Can you boys do me a favor "

They all looked at me as Tamaki said "Of course, anything for Maria's mother."

I smiled "I want you to follow Maria, make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen to her."

The twins got up and they shouted "You can count on us!"

They grabbed Haruhi, put their shoes on and followed Maria to where she was going.

_Please let no harm come to my angel..._

* * *

_Maria's POV_

"Thank you, come again soon." The shopkeeper waved as I made my way out to head back home.

I got some nice, fresh pieces of fish so now I could make my meal for the guys and it wouldn't even take me long. I hummed a little tune as I left the supermarket, on my way out I heard some wolf whistling. I turned to the sound and saw 3 rough looking boys winking at me. I rolled my eyes and pretended not to notice them. I continued walking home but felt uneasy, I felt a presence behind me.

I looked behind me and saw the three boys following me, I quickly looked forward and went to cut through the alleyway to my house. I walked down it and was suddenly grabbed from behind, I dropped my bag onto the floor and one of the boys whispered in my ear "Your far too cute to simply let go."

I elbowed him in the stomach which caused him to let go, but another boy grabbed my hands and held them behind my back. I struggled violently as the third boy grabbed my face and pulled me close

"Well, well it seems we have a feisty one here gentlemen...we're gonna have to teach her a lesson aren't we?"

They chuckled evilly as I tried to kick the boy away, but he dodged my kick and stood on my feet. He was really heavy and I couldn't move.

He tutted "Oh dear, we were gonna go easy on you but you've led us to this."

He raised his hand to slap me, I closed my eyes ready for the impact...but it never came. I opened my eyes and saw Mori holding the guy's wrist. He moaned in pain as Mori grabbed his arm and threw him over his back, causing the guy to land on his stomach.

He graoned in pain as the boy I elbowed was beaten up by Hunny, the boy who was holding me let go as the twins grabbed him off of me and beat the crap out of him.

I wobbled a little from shock, but someone caught me before I could fall. I looked to see who it was and it was Kyoya.

He looked at me with concern and asked "Are you alright Maria? Did they do anything to you?"

I shook my head "No I'm alright thank you."

I got up and Tamaki's arm wrapped around me protectively. "How dare you jerks try and harm Maria! Your lucky were letting you live!"

_Wow...Tamaki's really protective isn't he? _

Finally, the three thugs ran away crying as Haruhi ran up to me and hugged me "Maria! Are you ok? What did they do?"

I squeezed back "I'm fine, the guys saved me just in time."

I turned to the boys and bowed to them deeply "I am so grateful, I owe you my life thank you."

Hikaru came up to me and began "Don't worry about it..."

Kaoru lifted my head up and finished "We look out for each other don't we?"

I nodded, but asked "Hey wait a second why were you following me?"

They looked at each other awkwardly as Kyoya stated "Your mother wanted us to make sure you were safe. She said she had a feeling something bad was going to happen to you."

I smiled "Wow, my mum has a sixth sense or something. Well I'm glad you did."

I picked up the bag and looked at the fish "Phew the fish isn't ruined, we can still eat it."

Everyone cheered as we all walked home together. Kaoru and Kyoya stayed near me for the rest of the walk, not letting me out of their sight. Many girls in my neighborhood kept on blushing at the sight of them until we made our way back to my home.

I opened the door as my mum said "Oh hello dear how was the trip? Did you get what you need?"

I didn't want to tell her as she would only go into panic mode, I looked at the guys giving them a _don't tell her_ look and smiled at my mum

"It was good, and yes I did. Now lunch will be ready in around 20 minutes." Everyone cheered as I went back to the kitchen with Haruhi to finish my meal.

* * *

_Kyoya's POV_

I had to admit that Maria surprised me. Her home was clean, organised and bigger than I imagined. When she told us about her mother's condition I couldn't help but feel a little amazed by her actions and they way she dealt with it. We sat down with Haruhi's mother while waiting for the meal to finish.

Hikaru complained "Man I'm starving."

Kaoru continued "Yeah, I hope lunch is ready soon."

Tamaki growled at them "You idiots you need to learn to be more patient!"

Claire laughed at their little drama "My oh my, you boys sure do know how to entertain a lady don't you?"

Tamaki immediately looked at her and smiled "Why of course, that's what we are known for at the Host club Mi'lady."

_Moron..._

Claire giggled but then asked in a serious tone "So what really happened out there? I know she's lying...she's my daughter after all."

We looked at each other as I shifted my glasses "Well, on the way back Maria was harassed by a group of men...no doubt they tried to molest her. Luckily we arrived just in time and Mori, Hunny and the twins 'respectively' made sure they learned their lesson."

Hikaru smiled "Don't forget you, Tamaki and Haruhi surrounded Maria to make sure she wasn't hurt by those guys."

Claire looked at us with tears in her eyes and smiled "Oh thank you so much, you saved her life."

Hunny giggled "It was no trouble, we all love Mari-chan and we want to protect her."

Claire looked at Hunny and smiled from ear to ear "Well, Maria did tell me about you boys and how kind you were. She thinks the world of you and cares for you deeply, I can just tell by the way she talks about you."

_So...she does talk about us at home. _

Suddenly we saw Haruhi and Maria come out with some plates at they placed them on the table. We knelt down at the table while Maria gave her mum her plate on a tray. We looked at the food and it was sashimi with some vegetables on the side. Maria sat next to me and Haruhi sat next to Hikaru and we all ate our food.

The food was nothing I ever tasted before, the flavors burst in my mouth. The meal accentuated the natural flavors of the ingredients which made me have goosebumps.

Hikaru looked at Maria and stated "Maria...this meal is amazing!"

Kaoru asked "Yeah where did you learn to cook like this?"

Maria shrugged "I didn't learn it anywhere, I just kinda picked it up."

I dabbed my mouth with the napkin and commented "Well, it is a very nice meal Maria. You should be pleased."

She looked at me in shock at first, but a gentle smile spread across her face. It made me happy to see her smile like that...what was I thinking?! She is nothing more but someone who is paying back a debt that was all.

* * *

_Maria's POV_

Kyoya...complimented me? I was so happy that I couldn't help but smile. He smiled back but quickly looked away to continued eating.

_Even when giving a compliment he doesn't want anyone to think he's nice. _

I shook my head and kept an eye on my mum, even though her hands were shaking she seemed to be able to eat ok.

We all finished eating as Tamaki looked at his watch "Oh man it's 4 already. I think it's about time we headed home."

The twins sighed and put their arms around me "Awww can't we stay a little longer? We wanted to play some games with Maria."

They winked at me and Tamaki dragged them off of me. "Stop that you two! We're going home!"

They all went over to my mum and each of them hugged her goodbye.

My mum said "Take care boys ok?"

They came over to me and Tamaki bowed to me "Thank you for inviting us over. We had a great time."

I giggled "Your welcome, I'm glad you all came."

They put their shoes on but the twins sneaked up behind me and said "Wanna play some games before we go Maria?"

Before I could shout at them Tamaki grabbed them by their ears and dragged them out to the limo.

Hunny came up to me and hugged me "The meal was yummy Mari-chan. Thank you!"

Mori smiled "Yeah thanks."

_Oh Mori...a man of many words. _

They left and Kyoya came up to me last "Well, thank you Maria for inviting us over. We will be happy to pay for the food you bought for us."

I shook my head "Thanks but no thanks, I'll only regret it later if I let you pay for it."

He chuckled "Well, see you on Monday."

He smiled before going to the limo and driving off with the others. I shut the door as Haruhi helped me in the kitchen with the washing up.

"Man what a day huh? I think it turned out better than expected."

I chuckled "Defiantly, and to tell you the truth. I don't think it could have been any better."

She smiled and I showed her to the door. I hugged her goodbye and watched her go.

I smiled to myself "Yeah...it couldn't have been better."

When Haruhi disappeared into the distance I closed the door behind me to now do the chores. But I could do those chores with a smile on my face.

**A/N: Ta da! After all of your patience you finally found out what her home life was like. I'm sorry if it's a bit crappy but I thought that everyone has done the whole "my parents died tragically" thing so I decided to give something else a go. I hope you liked it and the next chapter will be episode 11 :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Wednesdays'? Well I really HATE Wednesdays' as it is cosplay day! The boys, including Haruhi, were dressed up as police officers while I was wearing the female version...which I don't like! The dress showed a lot of cleavage and I was wearing stockings as well. And it was thanks to the twins...

_I will kill them one day. _

As I though that the twins put their arms around me and said in unison "You look great Maria...you should wear it more often."

I bluntly stated "No thanks. I'm not interested in your foreplay."

Haruhi and Tamaki chuckled at my comment while the twins blushed in embarrassment Suddenly the door opened and everyone composed themselves for the guest...but this guest was young. And by that I mean this little girl only looked 6.

Tamaki smiled at her gently "Oh my, what an unusually young guest! Well, glad you're here... my little lost kitty cat."

The girl walked in and stared at us, like she was figuring us out. Tamaki asked her "Little Kitty Cat, why have you come to see us today?"

Suddenly the girl pointed at us and shouted "It's a reverse harem! This is a reverse harem!"

_Did she just really say that?! _

Tamaki laughed nervously "That can't be right. I must have heard wrong. Maybe there's still some water in my ear from when I went swimming."

Hikaru commented "Water in the ear, that's gotta be it."

Kaoru twiddled with his ears "I'm sure we just heard her wrong. There's no way this cute little girl said the words, reverse harem. Something's going on with our ears."

The girl suddenly shouted again "There is debauchery here. Yay! There's debauchery here, isn't there?"

_How does this cute little girl know about these things? _

She pointed at Kyoya and stated "You're the glasses character."

She pointed at Hunny and Mori "You are the boy lolita and the stoic type."

She pointed at the twins "Twincest."

She pointed at Haruhi "The bookworm."

Then she pointed at me "The princess."

_Why am I always the princess?! _

When she got to Tamaki she looked at him with her eyes wide open "Big brother?" She whispered.

But she jumped on him and cried "My brother's blonde! You must be him!"

_Say what?!_

Hikaru looked at the boss and shouted "You never told us about this!"

Kaoru asked "Since when do you have a little sister?"

Tamaki, who was holding the little girl, replied "I don't! I'm definitely an only child... at least as far as I know."

Hunny smiled and stated "The more I look at you, the two of you do look a lot alike. You are both blonde after all."

_Just because they're blonde doesn't mean they're related..._

Kyoya had his hand on his chin and questioned "I want to know if glasses character's superior to big brother."

Haruhi moaned "But does it really matter? I can't believe she called me 'bookworm'."

I moaned "How do you think I feel? I'm the princess!"

She chuckled as Tamaki asked the little girl "Excuse me, you want to tell me your name, little one?"

The girl shouted "Kirimi!"

Haruhi and I looked at each other and repeated "Kirimi?" _Like the tuna? _

Tamaki put the girl down and bent down to her height "Kirimi-chan, I'm afraid you've made a mistake. I'm really sorry, but I don't have a younger sister."

Kirimi looked at him with puppy dog eyes "Are you sure?! You're blonde just like me!"

Tamaki picked her up and spun her around "Oh, that's true. I give in! As of this moment, I'm your new big brother! You're so cute!"

Haruhi and I looked at him unimpressed as I stated "I know you get carried away by emotion. But don't you think it's irresponsible to make such empty promises?"

Tamaki laughed to Kirimi "Don't you listen to that mean Maria! I'm not irresponsible! Come on with me! I'll look after you!"

_The poor kid..._

I looked at Kyoya and asked "What do you think we should do, Kyoya senpai?"

Kyoya smiled and shrugged "We should probably try to find out if she actually has a brother at this school."

Just as he said that, a dark spooky voice echoed in the music room "Kirimi... Kirimi..."

We turned around and saw a blonde haired boy behind the black door.

Hikaru and Kaoru asked "Hey, uh, who the hell are you?"

Hunny giggled "He looks like a foreigner!"

Haruhi stood next to me and asked "What's up with that? How come the door looks different all of a sudden?"

I shrugged "I have no idea..."

Suddenly a bald man stood next to the blonde boy and a maid said to the boy "You forgot your cloak."

As soon as she put the cloak on we all recognized who he was "Nekozawa senpai?!" We all shouted.

The maid said to us "Master Umehito is terribly vulnerable to any kind of bright light. For that reason, if he doesn't shroud himself in black, he will fall victim to the brightness of the outside world and will undoubtedly collapse! And just to be comfortable, he even has to cover his beautiful blond hair with a dark wig."

The bald man stated "On the other hand, his sister, Mistress Kirimi, is frightened of dark and dimly lit places."

Haruhi looked at Nekozawa and Kirimi and asked "So, this little girl is Nekozawa senpai's younger sister?"

The maid nodded "You are quite insightful. Yes, that would be correct, sir."

_Hahahaha I still laugh when Haruhi is called a boy. _

Nekozawa started to approach Kirimi "Kirimi... so this is where you've been hiding..."

Kirimi started crying and clung onto Tamaki "Brother, save me from the monster!"

Nekozawa continued to approach her and took out his doll "Please don't be scared. I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is 'Belzenef'. The Nekozawa family has worshipped cats for generations."

He obviously didn't realize that she was scared of him so Haruhi said to him "You know, I get the feeling she's not scared of the puppet. Call me crazy, but I think it's you."

Hikaru and Kaoru stood next to him and stated "It's probably your clothes. We'll help you change, okay?"

But as they tried to take off his cloak Nekozawa panicked and yelped "No! Don't do that! It's far too bright! I may die!"

Hunny then ran over to the curtains and started to shut them "I know. We'll just darken the room!"

But he stopped halfway when Kirimi started crying "Waah! Don't do that!"

Tamaki comforted her as I stated "Either way, someone's unhappy."

The maid stood next to me and sighed "It's a tragedy that these two siblings are such polar opposites. As a result, they have come to be known as 'the Nekozawa family's Romeo and Juliet'."

Confused with the use of THAT story I stated "But Romeo and Juliet weren't brother and sister. I think their situation was a little different."

The maid nodded and smiled while holding a banner "Oh I'm well aware of that. To be honest, it's something I just came up with on the fly. Pretty impressive, huh? I thought it might make the story more dramatic."

A sweat drop appeared on my head as I mumbled "Oh I see..."

The bald man bowed and said "We are sent by the Master's family to get our beloved Mistress Kirimi back home safely."

Hikaru looked at them and started "Is the rest of the family..."

"as out of tough as the three of you are?" Kaoru finished.

The maid shouted in anger "How dare you say such terrible things! The Nekozawas are a distinguished family. They're descendants of the Tokarev dynasty of Russia!"

Kyoya repeated "Tokarev, huh?"

Tamaki asked "Wait, you mean Romanov, right?"

The maid said to us "There's a legend that says once every few hundred years, a Nekozawa child is born, a child who's destined to be possessed by the darkness exactly like our Master Umehito. That legend may or may not be true."

Hunny asked, confused, "What do you mean, may or may not be true?"

Hikaru and Kaoru asked as well "Is it or isn't it?"

_It seems real to me..._

The maid then told us "Mistress Kirimi fell in love with the handsome fairy-tale prince of an older brother she had seen in portraits. However, as a result of his condition, the Master is unable to go near his sister without being shrouded in black.

"Once she learned her older brother was enrolled in high school here, she decided to go looking for him. That's what brought her to your host club. We've tried to keep her comforted by reading her bedtime stories about princely characters like her brother, but we ran out of stories...

"So recently, we decided to start reading her shojo manga that have princely characters in them. And I'm afraid she's become completely addicted."

_Oh so that would explain why she knew about that..._

The twins looked at each other and said in unison "I see, so that's where that came from."

Haruhi questioned "Is there really debauchery in shojo manga? But, Sashimi-chan is so young."

I shook my head and elbowed her lightly "Not 'Sashimi', It's'Kirimi'!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes and looked at Nekozawa "So, Kirimi-chan doesn't know that you're her real older brother, Nekozawa senpai?"

The maid nodded sadly "Yes. We've talked her, but she refuses to believe us."

Hunny started crying "That's so sad. Well, no wonder Neko-chan is so upset."

Nekozawa hung his head and said to us "It's painful. That's why, every night, I offer prayers and hopes that one day Kimiri will come to embrace... the darkness."

The twins looked at him and bluntly said "I think you've got it backwards, buddy."

Hikaru began "You should try to get accustomed to the light."

Kaoru finished "What're you trying to do to your sister?"

The bald man bowed to Kirimi, who was still in Tamaki's arms, and said "Come along, Mistress Kirimi."

The maid held her hand out "It's time to go home."

Kirimi clung onto Tamaki tighter and cried "NOOOOO! I'm not going with you. I don't want to go home! I wanna stay with my big brother!"

Nekozawa hung his head. I looked at him concerned as Tamaki looked at him as well "Nekozawa senpai?"

Nekozawa didn't look at us as he said "Don't worry about me, Suou. All I want is for my sister to be happy. Make sure she gets the love she deserves!"

He ran off crying back to the dark door.

Kyoya stated "Sibling relations are a source of problems in any family."

Haruhi and I looked at each other as she said "Even so, I'm kinda jealous. I grew up an only child, so I can't really relate. But I can't imagine how touch it must be to have a sibling that's so different from you that you can't even spend time together."

I nodded in agreement "I mean Haruhi and I are like sisters...but it would be nice to have actual siblings."

Tamaki put Kirimi down as she looked up at him "Is something wrong? Tell me, big brother?"

Tamaki smiled gently "I'm sorry, Kirimi-chan. But I'm not the big brother that you've been looking for. Don't worry. He is still out there. Believe it or not, you have a big brother that's even more handsome than I am. And I promise you, he's a real prince."

Haruhi began "But senpai..."

But she was interupted by Tamaki "Once she stepped foot into this room, Kirimi-chan became a guest of the host club. And it's our job to make all our guests happy. It's an absolute tragedy to see a brother and sister at odds this way. We have to do something to help them! Starting now, 'Operation, change Nekozawa senpai into the princely character of Kirimi-chan's dreams' is underway!"

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at him unimpressed "Are you serious?"

The servants looked at him in shock as the bald man began "But, sir..."

The maid continued "You want to change Umehito from a prince of darkness to a prince of light. I don't know if that's even possible."

Haruhi shouted at Tamaki "Senpai! Quit getting carried away by your emotions! Don't make promises you can't keep."

Tamaki shook his finger at Haruhi 'Oh ye of little faith'. Have you forgotten that we have an expert on our side? Someone who knows the importance of changing characters."

Me, Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other as Hikaru began "You don't think..."

Koaru continued "He's talking about..."

Suddenly the cackling sound of Renge could be heard as I stated "Yeah, sure enough."

* * *

_3 days later... _

"Your golden locks glow in the candlelight. Your skin like ivory. Your smile, mysterious as a flower illuminated by the moonlight. Such beauty, it's as if... you're a cursed wax doll! Shrouded in darkness and filled with malevolence!"

Nekozawa said to the doll which got him a whack upside the head by Renge

"No way! You've got it all wrong! Numbskull! Who told you to say something like that!? How many times do I have to tell you!? You're not allowed to use any occult terms!"

Nekozawa frowned, his long blonde bangs covering his eyes "I'm really sorry. But, my vocabulary is a bit limited without those words."

Renge hit him on the head and shouted "You're not allowed to talk back to me either. You got it? A princely character would never try to come up with a sissy excuse like that! Remember, it's okay to have a dark side. Some girls like that. Cute fruity male characters always go over well with young girls. However, referencing anything related to the occult is out of the question! Mori senpai, go ahead and add that to the board."

Mori simply nodded "Wax... doll...", writing it on the board. The rest of us, expect Haruhi who was looking after Kirimi, watched the training.

Kyoya nodded "Looks like Renge is really on top of things."

Hunny smiled "Yeah, she's on a roll."

Hikaru shook his head "But I'm not sure the lines she's feeding him are appropriate to use on a sister."

I nodded in agreement "That's true, I mean it sounds like he's going to propose to a girlfriend rather than talk with his sister."

Kaoru looked at Tamaki and asked "You're just going to sit and watch, boss?"

Tamaki nodded "Of course. I don't wanna end up with a curse on me."

_He's still worried about that? What an idiot..._

Renge smiled and said to Nekozawa "Okay, it seems that you've memorized most of your new character lines. I think it's about time we moved on. Are you ready, senpai?"

Nekozawa panicked and stuttered "Oh, please no! It's too soon! I can't handle it yet!"

But Renge ignored him and shouted "Evil beam!" shining a torch in his face.

Nekozawa screamed and tried to hide his face from the light.

Renge shouted to him "Don't let a simple flashlight get the best of you! Work up your nerve! It's not physically affecting you. So that means it must be psychological! Even Edgar was able to face the cross once he built up his courage."

Nekozawa looked confused "But I thought you rejected the occult."

Renge turned off the torch and stated "Occult fiction is good. Occult fashion is not."

_They've lost me...I'm confused..._

While thinking that Renge stated "You've gotta put your heart into the delivery of these lines. You have to imagine that you're talking to Kirimi-chan."

Nekozawa shook his head "That's easy for you to say, but that doesn't look anything like her." That was true, it was Tamaki's teddy bear with a blonde wig and little dress on it.

Renge smacked him upside the head again and yelled "Would you quit complaining? Look at her through the eyes of your heart. The eyes of your heart!"

Tamaki continued "That's right. Remember why you're doing this. It's all for Kirimi-chan's sake. Just give it a shot. It'll look like her if you use your imagination."

The twins looked at each other with an evil grin and ran off.

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this? _

They came back with a manequin in a ruffled bikini and a wig that matched Haruhi's hair. They said together "Here you go, boss."

Tamaki turned around to see the doll as Hikaru said "We got this one ready just for you."

Koaru continued "We think you should go ahead and confess your love to this Haruhi doll."

Tamaki stuttered "Wait, this doll is... Haruhi?"

The twins grinned "You should teach him by example."

Tamaki blushed a deep red "Ha.. Haruhi... I..."

_Pervy thoughts alert! Call the police!_

But Haruhi walked in and saw Tamaki hugged the doll. "Excuse me."

Tamaki looked at her and panicked "Haruhi!? You are the real one! But when did you get here?"

Haruhi looked at him annoyed and said "Kirimi-chan came to the club room again today looking for you. If you've got time to do disgusting things like this, surely you can spare some time to hang out with her for a while."

Tamaki gasped and went into his emo corner while the twins laughed.

_What a bunch of goofballs. _

Kyoya and I walked over to Haruhi as Kyoya said "Why don't you keep her company, Haruhi? What's wrong? Don't you like children?"

She shook her head and sighed "Well no, it's not that I don't like them or anything. She's made me read about 50 volumes of shojo manga to her over the last 3 days. And to my surprise, those things really are full of reverse harems and debauchery."

We suddenly head Kirimi crying at the door "This room is dark and scary!"

Haruhi ran over to her "Oh, Kirimi-chan. I asked you to wait for me in the other room."

Tamaki went over to Kirimi and picked her up, spinning her around a bit "What's wrong, little one? There, there, calm down. You see? There is nothing to be afraid of. Here we go!"

Kirimi laughed as we heard Nekozawa chant "I am a handsome, princely big brother! I am a handsome, princely big brother! I am a handsome, princely big brother! I am a handsome, princely big brother! I am a handsome, princely big brother! I am a handsome, princely big brother! I am a handsome, princely big brother! And I'm not afraid of this flash light! Self evil beam!"

He shone the flashlight in his face as Hunny cheered "He did it!"

Renge smiled "Nekozawa senpai's come a long way. He is able to shine a flashlight in his own face!"

Hikaru and Koaru popped some party poppers and clapped "Bravo, senpai, bravo."

Haruhi gave a thumbs up "Good job. I'm impressed."

I smiled "We knew you could do it."

Tamaki put Kirimi down and smiled "You did it! Your little sister is going to be so thrilled. Look there, Kirimi-chan. That gentleman is your real big brother."

Tamaki suddenly had a daydream and Haruhi shook her head at him "You're just complicating things. Could you please cut that out? It's not gonna help, you know."

Tamaki looked at her innocently "Huh? Did you just say something?"

I then noticed Kirimi started crying at the sight of her brother shining a light in his face and ran out of the school crying. Nekozawa shouted after her but to no avail.

Hikaru began "So, I guess shining the flashlight in his face..."

"Scared her and sent her running." Koaru finished.

Nekozawa fell to his knees and sniffled "Oh, Kirimi."

Tamaki looked at him concerned "Nekozawa senpai?"

Nekozawa didn't look up but stated to Tamaki "I've had enough. Even if I continue the special training, there's no guarantee that Kirimi will ever accept me... I think she'd be better off if you acted as her brother in my stead, Suou."

Tamaki frowned his eyebrows and stated "But that's ridiculous. You're the big brother she is looking for. If you care about her, you will do whatever takes to win her over."

We opened the curtains as Hikaru looked out the window "Hey, look. Kirimi-chan hasn't made it out of the courtyard."

We all looked out the window as Koaru said "But there's something down there with her. Oh, it's just a cat."

Hikaru stated "Your family sure does love cats."

Koaru finished "Even strays warm up to you guys."

Nekozawa ran to window and panicked "What did you say? They're revered by our family, it's true. But Kirimi wouldn't participate in something like that. Something as occult as befriending a stray cat. Kirimi is afraid of animals and cats are the creatures she fears the most! Kirimi!"

Suddenly he jumped out of the window...smashing it into a million pieces. "Nekozawa senpai!" Tamaki shouted.

Haruhi and I stated "But he's not wearing his black cloak!"

We didn't hear them but we saw Nekozawa running to his sister to help her with the cat, she smiled at him and presumably, called him her big brother. He then fainted from the exposure to the sun.

* * *

The next day we were in the host club as Hikaru stated "He probably got more sun that he ever will again in that one day."

Hunny added "That may be true. But he immediately went running for the darkness again..."

Koaru shook his head "Yeah, we should have known. What a waste. He's back to wearing all those black clothes again."

Haruhi smiled "But even so." I smiled with her; it wasn't a waste at all...Kirimi has finally found her big brother.

**A/N: *Hiding* I am soooooo sorry this took so long to come out. I have mountains of school work to do which it taking over my life! Please don't kill me! I will try and get the next one out quicker!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Leave me alone I'm not wearing your stupid costume!" Haruhi were running from the devil twins once again...they were trying to get her to wear weird cosplay.

_I swear they are gonna be the cause of mine and her insanity. _

While Haruhi was running away from idiots 1 and 2, I was sitting at a table not to far away from them with Mori, who was reading a book, and Kyoya, who was doing calculations on his laptop. I was helping Kyoya with his sums as I watch the quite humorous scene before me. Hikaru almost grabbed Haruhi when he knocked into a table, spilling the tea content everywhere and all over Hunny's rabbit Usa-chan.

Tamaki looked at the mess in shock and moaned "Now you've done it."

The tea continued to soak further into Usa-chan as Hikaru stated "It's done, all right."

Kaoru defended "But it wasn't our fault."

Tamaki glared at them and shouted "What? You idiots! You're the ones who bumped into it, right?"

Hikaru and Kaoru grabbed Haruhi by the shoulders and Hikaru stated "Only because Haruhi was running away."

Kaoru smiled "We're trying to catch her because we wanted to have some fun and dress her up in cosplay."

Tamaki sighed annoyed "So what? We cosplay all the time!"

Hikaru shook his head "We weren't going with the usual host club costumes."

Kaoru smirked "We wanted to see Haruhi in bunny cosplay disguised as a girl."

_Disguised as a girl? She is a girl you idiot!_

Hikaru and Kaoru grinned at Tamaki and stated "You'd like to see it too, wouldn't you?"

Tamaki started blushing violently and went into his dreamland. _That's it he's on my list of nasty perverts...watch out Tamaki I'm coming to get you. _

I could feel someone tapping me on the shoulder and turned to see Kyoya smirking at me "Are you finished yet?"

I realized that I hadn't been recording the calculations and hastily said "Oh! I'm sorry...it's just no matter how long I'm here the club never ceases to amaze me."

Kyoya looked at everyone and smirked, he looked back at him laptop and started stating to the others "Excuse me, we don't have any guests at the moment, so I don't mind if you make a racket, but please be careful. You don't wanna wake Honey senpai."

They all froze and looked at Hunny, who was sleeping on the sofa peacefully...sucking his thumb.

_What 17 year old still sucks their thumb?_

Haruhi looked at him and tilted her head "He's a 3rd-year. Who still takes afternoon naps? We're gonna have to tell him about the bunny at some point. Let's just wake him up and apologize."

As she was about to touch him Tamaki and the twins whispered "No wait! Don't get any closer to Honey senpai."

Tamaki whispered and gestured "Come back. It's safe over here."

Haruhi walked over to them and asked "What are you talking about?"

Tamaki whispered to her "Honey senpai wakes up in a very bad mood after napping."

Haruhi looked at him confused as he continued "Now this may just be a rumor. But the Haninozuka family once visited a U.S. military base to give combat training. Supposedly Honey senpai slept through most of it because of his jet lag. Then, a soldier came in and carelessly tried to wake him up since he had been sleeping for so that day, he wiped out two entire platoons of soldiers and not just any soldiers, Green berets! And I've heard we've had diplomatic issues with America ever since that day."

"How terrifying!" The twins cried.

Haruhi rolled her eyes at them as did I, once again they had distracted me with their crazy antics.

Tamaki panicked "And we've got a bigger problem Usa-chan was handmade for Honey senpai by his deceased grandmother. You've seen the way he carries it around. That little bunny is his most priced possession. I can't imagine how he's gonna react when he wakes up and sees that his precious Usa-chan is ruined."

Suddenly the twins and Tamaki started crying "He's gonna do to us what he did to those Green berets!"

_Well so much for not trying to be loud..._

Haruhi once again rolled her eyes and stated "You're exaggerating. It's impossible for that story to be true. I mean, come on."

I nodded in agreement as Tamaki whispered again "It is. And there is other evidence that Honey senpai has an evil side to him. Listen to this. His blood type is AB. How do you like that?"

Haruhi shrugged "Yeah, so what?"

Tamaki looked at her even more worried and stated "But Haruhi, that means he's the same blood type as Kyoya!"

Haruhi gasped as did I. _Ok now is the time to be worried..._

We all looked at Kyoya as he spoke to us without averting his eyes from the laptop, "What's the matter? Do you guys have problem with my blood type?"

Haruhi looked into another direction and forced a smile on her face "Oh, those if you're watching with type AB, please don't take any offense to this."

_Who are you talking to?! You're one step closer to be wrapped up in a straight jacket Haruhi. _

Tamaki whispered "This is bad. We have to do something quick before he wakes up. Hikaru, Kaoru."

The twins saluted "Sir."

Tamaki then explained "Go get you folks Cessna. Fly to Osorezan, and bring back a medium. We'll channel his grandmother and she can guide us through it. We can make a new Usa-chan for Honey senpai. Take this map of Aomori Prefecture with you. Don't forget to bring apple juice, apple jam, and Nebuta souvenirs dolls!"

_Really? That's your ingenious idea...I worry about everyone's sanity. _

The twins looked at him unimpressed as Hikaru began "But we don't have that much time."

Kaoru continued "We're used to your crazy ideas, but you should come up with something more practical."

Tamaki thought for a moment and then smiled "All right, how about this? We'll send Usa-chan to the cleaners. Haruhi, you are going to have to wear the bunny suit."

He held a giant bunny suit to Haruhi as they twins nodded "Yeah, good idea, boss."

Haurhi's eye twitched as she tried to run away, but Tamaki grabbed her shirt; preventing her from running away. Haruhi yelled "Forget about it! I'm not wearing the stupid bunny suit. It's not gonna work. He'll know it's me!"

Tamaki stated "No, he won't. He won't be able to tell the difference if he's just waking up from a nap."

Haruhi responded "Well, then why don't you wear it, senpai?"

Tamaki yelled "It won't be cute if I wear it!"

Haruhi moaned "Yes it will!"

I looked over at Hunny who was starting to wake up, Tamaki realized and yelped "He's awake. We'll have to use a substitute. We've got no choice."

Hunny rubbed his eyes and saw Tamaki's teddy bear in front of him. Tamaki and the twins watched him nervously from behind the sofa as Hunny threw Tamaki's bear to the floor.

Tamaki screamed "Aaaah! Not my teddy bear!"

_He's such a child..._

Hikaru panicked "He's gonna come after us, next!"

Kaoru screamed "Aah! He's just noticed his bunny rabbit!"

Hunny picked Usa-chan up and noticed how dirty it was. He looked at us and spoke darkly "Who's responsible for this? Who got Usa-chan dirty?"

He pulled a face which even made me have goosebumps...if you can imagine looking into the face of the devil, Hunny's face was far worse.

Tamaki and the twins screamed "Someone, help! Mori senpai, don't let him hurt us!"

Mori walked over to Hunny and simply stated "He wanted tea. So, Usa-chan decided to have a drink."

_Say what?_

Hunny immediately smiled and asked "I see. So that's why his face is all dirty, isn't it? Hey, do you think he wants some cake, too?"

The twins and Tamaki went over to the emo corner..._That's all it took huh? What a bunch of idiots._

* * *

About 2 hours later the host club opened for business. As usual the guys entertained their guests and Hunny was making the girls squeal over his cuteness.

I heard Renge state "Mitsukuni Haninozuka, otherwise known as Honey senpai, age 17. Ouran academy 3rd-year, class A and a member of the host club. Favorite things include cake, chocolate, and bunnies. He's famous for his enchanting boy-Lolita characteristics."

I was standing with Haruhi and Tamaki as Haruhi said "That was a close call earlier, huh senpai?"

Tamaki nodded "No kidding. I'm glad we settled that Usa-chan issue without any violence."

I looked at Renge who was still giving a bio of Hunny...through a microphone? "Honey senpai's catch phrases include "I love candy" and "I love cute things" and well some find this charming. I'm not quite sold on his cutie loli boy image. It's not exciting enough. It feels like something is missing in this character arch!"

_I've given up on her...I can't be bovered to try and make her normal. _

I went back to serving tea to everyone. I went to Hunny's table and found 5 empty plates from where he was eating so much cake. He continued to scoff cake into his mouth as I stated "Honey senpai, you can't keep eating nothing but sweets all of the time. You know, you're gonna end up with a cavity."

Hunny smiled "Oh, don't worry. I always brush my teeth."

But as soon as he took another bite of cake his eyes widened. He held his cheek as I asked "Honey senpai, is it..."

Hunny shook his head and muttered "Nah, it's nothing... 'kay?"

The twins came over as I tried to look into Hunny's mouth "Let me just take a look in your mouth."

Hunny started squirming violently as the twins tried to hold him down. Hikaru said "Hold still."

Kaoru groaned "Honey senpai, please quit squirming."

Hunny continued to show resistance as he cried "There's nothing wrong. Quit messing with me. Leave me alone."

Suddenly he looked up and saw Mori looked at him, Mori pushed Hunny down onto the sofa and held his mouth. The girls started squealing as Renge yelped "Yes, that's it, that's it. That's what was missing. It's moe."

_What's wrong with the girls at this school? _

Mori continued to hold Hunny's chin causing Hunny to open his mouth. Mori looked inside as Tamaki asked "So is it a cavity?"

Mori replied "Yeah."

Hunny had tears in his eyes from where his cavity hurt so much but he murmured "It's all right. I'll be okay."

Mori looked at Tamaki as if he was indicating something "Tamaki" was all he said.

Tamaki nodded and said "Yes, you're right. I'll take care of this."

Tamaki turned to everyone and stated "Until Honey senpai gets over his cavity, I'm afraid he can't have sweets. Therefore, we'll be supportive and ask that you kindly refrain from eating snacks in the club room until this ordeal is over."

Hunny's eyes immediately filled with more tears as he tried to stop Mori from taking the cake away "No, no, don't, Takashi. Please don't take my snacks away. You can't. Don't do it. What'll I do without them? I can handle it. Please don't take away my cake!"

Mori simply turned to him and stated "No more cake."

Hunny cried as Renge sighed "And that's how it all began. One little cavity and suddenly Honey senpai's life became a living hell."

* * *

The next day me, Haruhi and the twins were walking down the hallway together when Hikaru stopped us "Hey it's Hunny."

We all looked from behind the wall and he had a cloth tied on his head to help with his cavity. I couldn't help but think he looked like a rabbit with that on. Some girls squealed at the sight of him as they probably thought the same thing.

Suddenly Mori came up to him and held his hand out "Mitsukuni, bag."

Hunny didn't look at him as Hunny said "I can carry it."

Mori wasn't giving in and still held his hand out "Yes, you can. Hand it over."

Hunny reluctantly handed over his bag as a mountain of sweets poured out of it. _Hang on how is that possible? His bag isn't big enough... _

Hunny looked at the floor and mumbled "I was just looking. I wasn't gonna eat them."

Mori raised his eyebrow "Really? If you were just looking, then try this."

He handed Hunny a flyer as he took the sweets "I'll keep the real stuff."

Hunny fell to the floor crying as we walked away from the scene. Hikaru and Kaoru both stated "Oh man, that was rough."

Haruhi frowned "I can't help but feel sorry for him."

I shook my head in disbelief "You know, I had no idea that Mori senpai could be so brutal."

Karou nodded in agreement "You wouldn't expect it. I thought his principles kept him from doing anything to upset Honey senpai."

Hikaru shrugged "And to think that he could get his boss to go along with him."

When we arrived at the host club it was time to open. A girl who was speaking to Tamaki said that she had a chef bake a cake for him, but because of the ban she can't give it to him.

However, Tamaki still charmed the girl and stated "I believe things will work out for the better this way, my dear. I'm sure it's delicious but no chocolate could ever be able to withstand the heat wave of my love. So it would all melt and go to waste."

_It's nice that he's doing this for Hunny...but I can tell he misses sweets. _

I was standing with the twins as Tamaki walked past us, Hikaru nodded "Impressive, boss. That was quite an act."

Kaoru finished "Missing sweets, aren't you?"

Tamaki stopped in front of us and scoffed "Buzz off. The club's number one priority is our guests. All that matters is their happiness."

Kyoya, who was leaning against the wall writing in his black book, said to us "You had better watch yourselves out there. Don't give any sweets to Honey senpai, no matter what tricks he resorts to. Oh, and incidentally, those instructions come from Mori senpai. This isn't my doing."

With that he walked away waving to us. Hikaru raised his eyebrow "So is it just me or does he seem to be enjoying this?"

I decided to follow Kyoya and talk to him for a little while. He went to a separate room which was were he could do his work undisturbed.

I shut the door behind me and asked "Mind if I sit in here with you?"

He nodded, not looking away from his work as I sat next to him. "So, just out of curiosity...why are you so happy that Hunny isn't eating sweets?"

He smirked and turned to me "Since Hunny isn't eating sweets...the club can save money. All of them sweets cost a lot of money."

I nodded my head in realization "He does eat a lot of sweets so that is understandable, to be honest I'm not surprised that money was the first thing you thought of Kyoya."

He chuckled "Well how else are we going to keep the club going if we don't have any money?"

Before I could say anything he loosened his tie with his finger and slumped down in his chair...his chest slightly exposing. _Not bad Kyoya...oh great now I'm turning into a pervert! Thanks a bunch devil twins._

I smirked at Kyoya "Wow, looks like you even like to relax."

He chuckled at my comment "This is the only place in this school where I can just relax and do my work without disturbance...hey shouldn't you be working?"

I stood up quickly and said "Oh yeah! Please excuse me."

I left Kyoya and went back to the main room. I saw Hunny skipping to Mori until he shoved a lolly into Hunny's mouth, making his cheek swell. _Hunny was probably trying to convince Mori that he no longer had a cavity. _

Mori walked away and stated "You're not fully recovered yet." I couldn't help but think that Hunny wasn't going to give up so easily.

* * *

For the next 3 days Hunny tried everything he could to trick people into giving him sweets. But none of those tactics worked. The rest of us were sitting at a table while Hunny was pacing around impatiently.

Tamaki spoke timidly "He's gonna crack."

Kaoru shrunk into his chair "Would somebody please talk to him? He's scaring me."

Suddenly Hunny opened a door to where we keep the sweets and Hikaru screamed "Ah! He's headed for the candy!"

Kyoya was still relaxed and stated "No need to worry. We emptied out all the sweets."

Haruhi looked at him a bit baffled and said "Kyoya senpai, you seem really chipper today."

Hunny opened a cupboard and took out Tamaki's teddy bear and threw it to the floor angrily. Tamaki screamed "Aah! He keeps doing that to my teddy bear!"

_I'm getting a strange sense of deja vu. _

Finally Hunny wobbled for a bit and then collapsed onto the floor. Kaoru raised his eyebrow "Well, there he goes."

Hikaru finished "Three days and he gives up."

Tamaki cautiously walked over to Hunny and shook him "Ah Honey senpai?"

Suddenly Hunny started biting Tamaki's hand and Tamaki starting screaming and running around trying to get Hunny off of him "Somebody, help me! He's eating my arm off!"

Mori then stood up and started walking over to them. He stood behind Hunny and spoke, "Mitsukuni, don't take this out on other people."

Hunny stopped biting Tamaki's arm and Tamaki sighed in relief "You saved me. I thought I was a goner."

Mori still continued looking at Hunny and said "It's disgraceful."

Hunny then spoke darkly "Takashi, you idiot!"

He then screamed and threw Mori over his shoulder, causing Mori to fly halfway across the room and landing on his back. Hunny continued screaming at Mori with tears in his eyes "A little bit isn't gonna hurt me! You're so mean! You're such a hardhead! That's it! I hate you! I hate you, Takashi!"

Mori sat up and averted his eyes as Hunny ran out of the room crying. Tamaki yelled "Honey senpai!" and ran after him.

Hikaru looked at Mori concerned and began "Hey, Mori senpai."

"That was harsh. Will you be all right?" Kaoru finished.

Mori got up but started wobbling. He tried to hold the table for support but he and the table just fell to the floor. I ran over to him and kneeled down next to him and looked into his face. He looked like he was going to cry.

I looked at him concerned while Hikaru said "Wow senpai, it looks like he really got to you. I don't know what's going on, but it seems like you're self-destructing."

Kaoru added "Maybe, Honey senpai wouldn't hate you if you hadn't have been so hard on him in the first place."

Haruhi suddenly realized something and said "It was on purpose? Mori senpai, by any chance, have you been acting like this, because you're trying to get Honey senpai to hate you?"

We looked at her baffled as Hikaru asked "Why would he do that?"

Kaoru stated "It makes no sense. That would be like the end of the world for Mori senpai."

Hikaru and Kaoru both asked "Why would he do it on purpose?"

Mori sat himself up as Haruhi suggested "Well maybe, because he was trying to punish himself. I'm right, aren't I?"

Mori nodded "Yeah, you are. This was my fault. Mitsukuni has a cavity because I'm careless. Twice before his nap time, I forgot to make him brush his teeth."

Hikaru shook his head in disagreement "But that's not really your responsibility."

Kaoru continued "He should know better."

Mori continued to sit there with a sad expression on his face as he put his hand in his hair "But if Mitsukiuni has to get false teeth, it'll be my fault."

The twins shook their heads vigorously and stated "Don't worry. That's not gonna happen."

_Wow what a pessimist. _

He looked down at the ground and said "I wouldn't be able to live with myself right now, if he hadn't thrown me down."

Kyoya spoke up and stated "Because he felt at fault, Mori senpai wanted some sort of punishment from Hunny senpai to make up for his failure."

I got up and walked back over the the others as Hikaru and Kaoru began "Well..."

Hikaru continued "While that certainly makes for a nice story and everything..."

Koaru finished "It was just a little cavity, right?"

Suddenly the door opened to show Hunny and Tamaki standing there. Hunny had a look of realization on his face as Tamaki said "Well, there you have it, Honey senpai. What will you do now?"

Hunny looked at Mori and then ran in crying "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Takashi!"

Mori looked up and Hunny as he ran to Mori and hugged him " I promise I won't forget to brush my teeth again! I won't forget!"

* * *

"A few days later, Honey senpai recovered from his painful cavity, so the host club decided to lift their ban on sweets. And Honey senpai can greedily stuffed his face once more." Renge stated through her microphone.

We all looked at Kyoya who was doing sums in the emo corner. He sighed in annoyance as Haruhi asked "What's with Kyoya senpai? He looks depressed about something."

I shook my head "Because Honey senapi's back to eating snacks again. All those sweets get expensive."

She nodded as we head a girl speak "Excuse me." We turned to the voice and saw a girl walking to Mori.

Tamaki smiled gently "Oh my, looks like we have a new guest, gentleman. Are you a fan of Mori senpai?"

She stood in front of him and began "Oh Mori, I understand now. I know who you feel so strongly about. And it's okay."

She then looked at Hunny who was greedily stuffing his face with cake "I must say I find it a little surprising that it's Honey. To think he's so special to you. I don't know. It's just so... I can't explain it. It's just so... yay!"

She then squealed in happiness as Renge put her hand on her shoulder "Congratulations. You've just taken your first big step into a brand new world."

The girl smiled as Mori walked over to Hunny and cleaned his face "Mitsukuni, you've made a mess."

Hunny giggled as all of the girls started screaming in a fangirl manner. Renge spoke through the microphone "That's right, ladies. It's moe. It's the greatest. I just can't get enough of it."

Haruhi looked at me with a sweat drop and stated "You know, even though this whole thing may look and feel just like a happy ending, I'm not sure everyone out there would think moe is the best way to wrap things up."

The girls suddenly screamed loudly "Moe!"Which made me rub my ears...

"Oh, good grief." I said shaking my head. _Just another day at the Host club._

**A/N: Hooray I finally updated! I apologize for the late update but I have exams coming up and I have to revise for them...wish me luck! Anyway I hoped you like it :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Straight after lessons as usual me and Haruhi made our way over to the host club...however, I wasn't as energetic as usual. My eyes drooped as I slugged my way into the music room.

The twins looked at me and both asked "What's up with you today? You look like you've been dragged through a bush?"

I couldn't be bovered to speak as Haruhi spoke up for me "Knock it off guys Maria was working all night last night and had to finish doing the housework. She's so tired."

Tamaki looked into my face and cried "Oh my poor little princess! Working so hard but suffers the consequences "

He continued his charade as I shook my head "I'll be fine..."

Tamaki ignored my protests as he pointed his finger at me "I will not let my precious daughter suffer like this, you need to have a little nap to refresh yourself."

I tried to protest as Hunny tugged on my shirt "Mari-chan you can borrow my blanket if you want, you can even cuddle up with Usa-chan!"

I smiled and patted his head "Thanks Hunny."

I dragged myself over to the couch and lied down The twins grinned evilly at me and smirked "If you want we can sleep with you to make you more comfy."

Usually I would have growled at them by now but I was so tired I couldn't even do that. Tamaki dragged them away by their hair and shouted at them. Hunny covered me with his blanket and gave me Usa-chan to snuggle up to.

I smiled as Kyoya stated "make sure to get plenty of rest...we need you to be awake for when the guests arrive."

I grinned as I shook my head _Typical Kyoya, only caring about the welfare of the club. _I slowly closed my eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Maria...Maria...wake up Maria..." A soft echoing voice was calling out to me as I opened my eyes to find myself floating in a pitch black area. There was no one or nothing to be seen.

I looked around hastily and called out "Hello? Is anyone there?"

I could do nothing but float in this black cavern when the same voice spoke to me "I am here. Please do not be afraid."

I looked around and finally saw the person who had been calling out to me. A beautiful elegant lady who looked like she was in her 30's. She had curly blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

I looked at her carefully before remembering who she was "Auntie Akari?"

Akari smiled at me gently and spoke "You've grown so big, you're such a beautiful girl."

I couldn't believe my eyes as I asked "But...you died 5 years ago? Why are you here?"

Auntie giggled "Well you could say I am your guardian angel. I'm sorry for not being there for you more."

I smiled and ran to her and hugged her tight. "I miss you auntie."

Akari hugged me tightly "I miss you to dear."

She suddenly pulled away and wiped her eyes "Oh look at me, getting all flustered when I have a job to do."

I looked at her confused "Umm...what job?"

Akari smiled brightly "I am here to collect the dead souls of people who have recently died."

I tilted my head a bit as I said "But isn't that job a little too depressing for you? I mean you're so positive and energetic."

Akari twirled and sang "Yes that may be but I get to meet new people...and find out any juicy gossip."

I shook my head at my auntie's usual behavior. I then asked sheepishly "Do you mind if I come along? It sounds very interesting."

Akari squealed "Oh of course you can dear! You can keep me company!"

With that said she grabbed my hand and we teleported to a warm country surrounded by tropical trees and colourful birds. Akari looked at her list and said "Now where is he...oh there he is!"

A middle-aged man stood not too far from us looking confused as he asked my aunt "Excuse me miss...do you know what happened to me?"

Akari chuckled "I'm afriad to say that you are stone cold dead my friend."

The man looked shocked and stuttered "B-but I can't be dead...can I?"

Akari shook her head "You'll get used to it...now can you please tell me how you died?"

The man looked like he was in deep thought as he said "Well, I was walking through the jungle when I saw a little girl crying as she was stuck up a tree. People were gathered 'round so I climbed up the tree to save her. I lowered her down safely...however the branch broke as I was about to get down and landed on my head."

Akari smiled "You did a good deed my friend, and for that you are going to heaven."

The man smiled "Oh thank you very much." Akari pulled a white leaver, which appeared out of nowhere, and the man made his way to heaven.

I stood there shocked and my auntie chuckled "Now come on dear you're going to catch flies in your mouth if you keep it hanging open like that."

I quickly closed my mouth as auntie took my hand and we teleported to a new location. This place was a lot cooler than before but it wasn't freezing either. It was a very urban area but there was no one around except for a 50 year old woman who ran over to us as she saw us.

"Hey! Can you tell me where the hell I am?"

Akari smiled "You are stone cold dead my friend."

The lady growled "What?! Why the hell did it have to be me?!"

_Wow she has an attitude..._

Akari asked "Can you please tell me how you died?"

The lady snorted and stated "Well, I was an alcoholic and because of that I would hit my 14 year old son pretty much every night. The brat deserved it...anyway I was having my drinks as usual when all of a sudden I got an abdominal pain, I was feeling sick and my skin was yellow. Before I knew it I was dead."

Akari shook her head "Well because of your cruel ways I'm afraid you're taking a one way trip on the hellavator. Bye now!"

My auntie pulled a red leaver, which again appeared out of nowhere as the lady fell down a black hole. I looked at my auntie in shock as I said "That was a bit harsh don't you think?"

Akari shrugged "Well...yeah...but look on the bright side! It's always hot down there! She can tan easily."

I mentally face-palmed at my aunties constant happiness. We flew here, there and everywhere collecting souls and deciding whether they should go to heaven or not. Finally we reached the last person on Akari's list. "Ah here we are! We're in Japan I think. Oh look there she is!"

I looked to where she was looking and saw a beautiful young woman who I seemed to recognize from the back. The woman turned around and my eyes widened instantly.

She walked over to us and spoke in a kind voice "I know...I'm dead aren't I?"

Akari nodded. "Yes, can you please tell me how you died?"

She nodded and spoke "Well, I became very sick and had to be submitted to hospital. They told me I had pneumonia and I wasn't going to survive. I stayed in the hospital and said my final farewells to my daughter and husband before I passed away."

I finally found the courage to speak and whispered "Mrs Fujioka?"

Mrs Fujioka looked at me and smiled "Maria? Oh darling I am so sorry you had to see this...but you must be from the future. You were always like a daughter to me Maria; you and Haruhi just got along like sisters."

I chocked a little to try and hold back the tears as I hugged her tight. She stroked my hair and whispered "Can you do me a favor Maria?"

I looked up at her and nodded. She smiled and asked "I want you to look after Haruhi for me...I know she is going to feel lonely and afraid, but I want you to promise me that you will never leave her side and that you will look after her for me in my place. Tell her that I love her. Can you do that?"

I hugged her tightly "Of course I will, I love Haruhi like my own sister I will never leave her." We continued hugging until I felt like I was being pulled back to reality.

* * *

"Maria! Wake up Maria!" I shot up at the voice and saw everyone crowded around me with worried expressions on their faces. _Oh it was just a dream._

Tamaki looked at me gently and asked "Are you alright my dear?"

I nodded "I'm fine..why?"

Kaoru came over to me and looked at me "Because you were crying."

I put my hand on my cheek and felt a wetness on it. _Looks like that dream I had took it's toll on me. _

Hunny cried "Did you have a nightmare Mari-chan?"

I shook my head "No...I was just reminded of a promise I have to keep."

Kyoya came over and pulled out a tissue and wiped my cheeks "Honestly, you need to look presentable for our guests."

I chuckled, even though he said that he looked like he was worried about me to. _I guess the shadow king does care. _

The others suddenly ran off to get ready as I said to Haruhi "You know Haruhi, I was dreaming about your mother."

She froze instantly and looked at me "What did she say?"

I smiled "She asked me to look after you...and to tell you that she loves you."

Haruhi had tears in her eyes as I hugged her tight. "You're like a sister to me Haruhi...I will protect you and care for you as much as I can." We held each other for a while before the host club opened to it's guests.

**A/N: Ta da! I'm sorry it took so long but I had writers block! And I'm sorry if this is a but short but Maria can't really be in the dream with Haruhi so I decided to let Maria have a dream of her own. Anywho I hope you liked and please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It was another beautiful day as the Host Club was held in the gardens because of the lovely weather. I was walking around as I saw Tamaki with a girl sitting on a blanket. She said, "But, we can't do this, Tamaki. There are so many girls who love you and if we get any closer I'm afraid that they're all going to hate me for it."

Tamaki pulled the girl in closer and whispered, "Princess, these beautiful hydrangeas will keep us hidden from the others. You don't need to worry. For this moment, I belong to no one but you, my love. The spirits of the hydrangeas will keep our rendezvous a secret."

_Man I'm so used to his ways by now that I can't be bothered anymore._

I left them alone as I saw the twins playing a game with 2 girls. The girls giggled as Kaoru moaned, "No way, I lost again?"

Hikaru smiled, "Now, go easy on him, Princesses. Kaoru is quite the crybaby."

Koaru frowned. "Hikaru! That's not true! I am not a cryba..."

But before Koaru could finish, Hikaru pulled him in close and smirked. "Oh, so you're gonna deny it, huh? What about when the two of us are alone playing punishment games? Tell us what happens then, Kaoru."

Kaoru pretended to be in shock as he stuttered. "But, that's because you..."

Hikaru tickled the bottom of Koaru's chin as the girls squealed. _Great it's gonna take me another month to get rid of that thought._ I decided to go hang out with Kyoya as he was the most normal. I watched from afar as I saw him talking to a group of girls.

One of them said, "Wow I've never noticed that the courtyard had such a lovely stream."

Kyoya smiled gently "It's called a yarimizu channel. It is said that during the Heian era, people would better experience the seasons by watching the petals or autumn leaves that drifted along the water. I had it specially made for all of you, hoping it would express my desire to spend all four seasons with you. So, then what do you say, ladies? This fall, there's an autumn leave's tea party with a limited number of invitations."

The girls begged to be on the list as I shook my head at him. The girls ran off excited as I walked up to Kyoya. "Always thinking about profit huh?"

He smirked at me and replied, "Well, if I don't then this club would be in ruins...wouldn't you agree?"

I nodded "True...but it seems you can't be romantic without giving away special offers."

He shook his head as I sat down on the grass to look at the stream. "It is a beautiful stream...it's so peaceful."

Kyoya suddenly came up behind me and planted a cherry blossom into my hand and then one in my hair, behind my ear. "Well the river can do nothing compared to your natural glow, princess."

He held my hand and gently put it into the river as we saw the flower float away. I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck as I smirked. "Oh, so you can be the princely type after all?"

He chuckled and helped me up "I have my charms, it is part of my job, after all." I looked away from him as I blushed._ Why am I blushing? This sort of thing usually wouldn't make me blush._

I looked back up to see him smirking at me "Come on, you have a job to do." I nodded and hurriedly ran away from him.

I found Haruhi standing in the gardens and smiling as I went over to her. "Hey, you okay?"

Haruhi nodded. "It's so peaceful. Guess I'm finally getting used to this. Took me long enough. It's been this way since I started school here."

I nodded in agreement when suddenly Tamaki shouted, "Haruhi, duck!" He grabbed her and they fell into a bush. A ball flew pass as Tamaki stood up and shouted "Hikaru! You came this close to snuffing out the light of Haruhi's life." Tamaki ran to the twins as I saw Haruhi crumpled up in the bush.

I shook my head. "So much for it being peaceful."

I helped her up as I heard Hikaru say, "Hey, it's your fault for not catching the ball in the first place, boss."

Koaru added, "Yeah, who knew he'd be so bad at kemari? So much for him being the Genji of Ouran academy."

Tamaki growled. "What?" I have a bad feeling about this... Tamaki placed the ball down and smirked. "You think so? Well, check this out! Starlight Kick!"

He kicked the ball with all his might as Hikaru went wide-eyed "What?"

Kaoru finished "So fast!"

The ball flew straight past them and into the air. The twins waved at it and said together "Take care of yourself! Bye."

I watched the ball as I saw it crash through a window. Everyone looked at it as I said, "Who wants to bet that the ball hit someone?" We all looked at each other as we ran to where the ball went.

We arrived to see a room full of newspapers and a student clutching his head. I ran over to him, "Oh God, are you ok?" He looked up at me and saw the others behind me

"Oh no it's fine." The two boys beside him looked after him as Tamaki bowed his head.

"Really, we're terribly sorry about that."

I stood with Haruhi as the president of the club said, "Don't worry. It's no big deal. Could've happened to anyone, right? Just a ball flying through a window and hitting me upside the head."

Tamaki still hung his head and spoke, "Please accept our apology."

The president chuckled and said, "Well, this works out perfectly. I was just thinking about approaching the Host Club about a cover story. I don't suppose you'd be interested."

Haruhi looked at them questionably and stated "I didn't know we had a newspaper club."

The twins came over to us as Hikaru began, "It's more gossip rag than newspaper."

Kaoru continued, "Yeah, like a trashy tabloid. It's filled with stories about scandalous love affairs, family power struggles, and junk like that."

Hikaru shrugged. "It's just a lame gossip rag that specializes in stirring up scandal."

The twins both shrugged and said in unison, "And everyone knows it's all lies, so nobody reads it anymore."

The president frowned at the comments and stated, "You know, I guess we have kind of lost sight of the truth because we've been so worried about drawing in more readers. It's a shame we're just now realizing our error. Now that the paper is at risk. We finally realize what we should have been reporting to the students of Ouran."

He stood up from his chair and bowed his head along with the other two boys, "Help us, please. For our last paper of this semester, we'd like to do an up-close special edition revealing the charms of Ouran's host club members. I'm begging you. Without your help, our club will close."

Tamaki smiled and said, "You can count on us. On behalf of the host club, I..."

But before he could finish Kyoya pushed him out of the way and finished, "We'll have to decline."

Tamaki started shouting, "But Kyoya, he got hurt because of me! What's the big deal?"

Kyoya ignored him and stated to the president, "Sorry, we have a policy prohibiting us from sharing any personal information with anyone other than our guests. But we'd be more than happy to pay any medical expenses related to your injury."

Koaru frowned. "And another thing. What makes you think we'd want to help you spread more rumors and gossip? We've got a reputation to uphold. And you'd just ruin it."

Hikaru added, "Besides, you guys cause a lot of trouble for other people. And who'd want to get mixed up with that?"

Haruhi whispered to me, "It's scary how much they don't realize about themselves."

I nodded. "Way too scary."

The president sat back down defeated and sighed, "I understand. Well, I guess you really can't erase the sins of the past, can you? People won't even give you the opportunity to try and redeem yourself. Aah! My head is killing me."

The two boys next to him cried, "President!"

He sat back up and stated "I'm okay. Don't worry, you two. Oh no, I'm getting dizzy again."

"President!"

"No wait. I'm fine... aah!"

"President!"

He hung his head and cried, "I guess all we can do at this point is disband with grace."

_Geez what a drama queen._

Tamaki shouted, "No, you don't have to! You can always make a fresh start. We'll help. We will rally the power of our Host Club, and we can re-establish the newspaper club together!"

Suddenly the twins began the drag me and Haruhi away as they both said, "Well, count us out."

Hikaru began, "You're way too trusting, boss. We can't just go along with everything you do forever."

Koaru finished, "Yeah, we've had enough."

Kyoya started walking away with Hunny and Mori as he stated, "We're leaving too, Tamaki. We're holding an evaluation meeting, mostly about you."

Tamaki then spoke, "Hold it!" We all stopped as he continued, "How can you be so heartless? These men are about to lose their club. Don't you feel sorry for them? Their family is breaking up! As your president, I demand you help them! And that is a direct order!"

Kyoya and the twins simply turned to him and shouted, "We're not going to do it!"

Tamaki screamed as we made our way back to the club.

* * *

Everyone got changed out of their cosplay as we sat ourselves down...well everyone except for Tamaki who was playing with his ball in the emo corner. Hikaru shook his head, "Well, he's obviously upset with us."

Koaru continued, "Yeah, he hasn't even changed clothes."

Kyoya rubbed his temples. "I hate it when he ignores us when we're right in front of him. He's such a child."

Hunny, who was stuffing his face with cake, stated "Nah, Tama-chans's just a lonely guy, you know."

_Tamaki...lonely?_ As we spoke of him Tamaki pouted, "A club is like a family. Their family is about to be broken up. I feel sorry for them."

Me and Haruhi looked at each other and Haruhi sighed, "I hate to give in, but would it really be that bad to help them out with their newspaper?"

Kyoya and the twins stared at Haruhi as Hikaru gasped, "What?"

Kaoru spoke up for his brother, "Hey, since when are you taking his side?"

"Since never. Just listen, okay? I know any moment now he's gonna look over here with those puppy-dog eyes he uses when he wants something and none of us will be able to say no, and so he'll win."

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at Haruhi is disbelief and raised their eyebrows. "Let me guess, you're speaking from experience, aren't you?"

Haruhi laughed nervously but continued, "Besides, maybe I'm wrong, but isn't this the kind of thing you guys usually go for?"

The twins both shrugged. "Well no. This seems like more trouble than it's worth."

Haruhi turned to Hunny, "What about you, Hunny senpai?"

Hunny spoke with his mouth full, "Count me out. I have this cake to eat. And Takashi sticks with me, right?"

"Hm," was all Mori said. That's the most I've heard him speak in a while... We then heard Tamaki grumbling as he looked at us with the eyes. _Those are the eyes. Puppy-dog eyes._

Haruhi and the twins seemed to be taken down by the eyes and then Kyoya shifted his glasses "There will be some conditions."

Tamaki barked "Woof!" _What the hell?_

Kyoya continued, "The outline for their article will be submitted by us. Interviews are strictly prohibited. And it is vital that our clients' identities be kept confidential."

Tamaki sat like a dog and barked "Woof, woof!"

_I question his sanity..._ Kyoya closed his black book and asked, "Do we agree?"

Hikaru began, "Well, if you think it's cool, Kyoya-senpai," "then we do too." Koaru finished.

Hunny smiled gleefully "I'll do it since Kyo-chan says it's okay."

Mori grunted "Hm." _For those who don't speak Mori let me translate...that means he'll do it._

Haruhi looked at Kyoya and whispered in my ear, "That's the shadow-king for you."

I nodded, "He possess powers that no one else can handle."

Then Kyoya turned to me and asked, "Maria, will you come with me to tell the president the conditions?"

I nodded and followed him to the newspaper club. When we arrived Kyoya had taken a first aid kit with him as he told the president the conditions of covering the host club. The president smiled. "Of course. If you'll allow us to cover you, we promise to observe your conditions."

Kyoya smiled. "Well then, you may start tomorrow."

The president nodded,"Excellent."

Kyoya continued to smile, although it looked forced, as I asked, "So, how is that bump on your forehead feeling?"

The president touched his bump and smiled. "Oh, that. It's no big deal. I hardly feel it any more. I owe a lot to this bump, because without it we'd never have come together for this article."

Kyoya nodded. "That's true, but we're still very sorry it happened. I've brought you a little something as an apology of sorts. This is a first-aid kit, made by my family's company."

Kyoya slid the first aid kit to the president and the president smiled, "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Kyoya nodded. "No problem. Please excuse us."

As we started to leave the president called out to Kyoya. "Oh, it just dawned on me. You family runs the Otori group, right? They manufacture medical equipment, don't they?"

Kyoya stopped and slightly turned around. "We mostly deal with hospital management."

I turned back to the president who was still smiling as he said, "I am so glad that we'll been working together. My father is a president as well, of the Komatsuzawa publishing firm."

Kyoya stated as he fully turned himself around, "Yes, I am well aware of that. So, being president of the newspaper club is your way of preparing to take over the family company?"

The president smiled fainted a little as he said, "Well, yes, to an extent. But I have this younger brother. He is a bright young man, and my father is very proud of him, you see. So now my father's decided to turn future management of the company over to my younger brother."

Suddenly he lost his smile and his voice became sinister, dark and he bit the nail of his thumb as he continued, "Thereby passing over me, the eldest son, first-born. However, if I'm able to finish my third year at Ouran academy as the president of a successful newspaper club, I think he may reconsider my candidacy as his successor. Do you understand? I cannot allow this club to fall apart, no matter what."

Kyoya quickly said, "Please excuse us."

Then he started to leave and I quickly followed suit. I shut the doors behind me and started walking down the corridors with Kyoya. I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I stopped as I spoke up, "Kyoya?"

He stopped in front of me and looked at me, "Yes?"

I continued, "I can't help but feel like the president is planning something. I mean he just seemed to be putting on the whole nice guy act."

Kyoya smirked at me. "You are a very perceptive girl...that's why I brought you with me."

I tilted my head, "You brought me with you on purpose?"

He nodded. "I know you're not as naive as Tamaki and Haruhi to realize that he is up to something." I would have stuck up for Haruhi but he was right...Haruhi was too naive to realize he was up to something.

* * *

The next day Tamaki had dragged the club outside to play the new games he discovered from Haruhi. Tamaki had his eyes closed and turned around to see if anyone was moving before we could reach him.

Tamaki shouted, "The Daruma doll fell over! The Daruma doll fell over! The Daruma doll fell over! The Daruma doll fell over! The Daruma doll fell over! The Daruma doll fell over! I saw you move, Hikaru and Kaoru..."

He wiggled his fingers at the frozen twins as they complained, "What? Now way!" While the others were playing me and Kyoya simply watched from the sidelines and I saw the newspaper club looking at us oddly.

"Hey Kyoya they're here."

He looked up and nodded, "So it seems."

The president mumbled something to himself and Tamaki gleamed at him, "You know, I can't blame you for being shocked. I was unfamiliar with it myself. But it's a commoners' game. They have a wide variety. And none of them requires spending any money. All you need is a few friends to play with."

The president held his head in frustration ."And what does this have to do with our coverage of the host club?"

Tamaki shouted, "You need to learn friendliness. If you want to clear the negative reputation of the newspaper club and attempt to capture the hearts of your readers, you must try to be more down to earth. I can just imagine the headlines now. The handsome boys of the host club enjoy commoners' games. With pictures of us frolicking in the scenery of early summer, it will be the perfect face lift for your front page and it gives you the chance to show that a certain commoner's happier now reliving his childhood here with us!"

I walked over to Haruhi while he was ranting and then he looked straight at us, Haruhi moaned, "Great, he's looking at me. I should probably start acting like I'm happy to be here."

I patted her back, "There, there Haruhi."

All she could do was sigh. "Why can't this just be over?" Suddenly a voice appeared behind us "You're Fujioka and Maria, right? You wouldn't mind if I asked you a few questions, would you?"

I nodded to the president. "Um, Sure."

He began, "So, why did you two join the host club?"

Haruhi stated, "Well, um, honestly we joined because we were forced to."

I shrugged, "It's a long story."

The president continued, "You are both honor students on a scholarship, correct?"

We both nodded. "Yeah, we are."

The president suddenly grew dark and twisted our words. "So in other words, the fact that you're a member of this club is just another example of how the Suou family loves to flaunt their power."

Haruhi asked, "Say what?"

But the president continued anyway and he bent down to whisper, "Now if you would, please tell me all about Tamaki's dark side. If you can help me out here, I just might be able to set you free."

I couldn't help but look at him suspiciously as Haruhi shrugged, "Sorry, but as far as I can tell, he doesn't have a dark side."

The president growled. "That can't be right? You expect me to believe that a group of high schoolers actually enjoys playing these childish games?"

I quickly defended, "I don't think it's that weird."

He sighed, "You've gotta be kidding me."

Suddenly the twins pulled me and Haruhi away from him and shouted, "Now come and get us!"

I got out of the twins grasp as Tamaki growled, "Hey wait! That's not where you're supposed to cut, you know! Next we're playing can-keri. And you're it, okay, Kyoya?"

Kyoya sighed, "If I must."

Tamaki placed the can down onto the ground and shouted, "Starlight Kick!"

_Why am I getting a strange sense of deja vu?_ Tamaki kicked the can violently as it barely missed the president. He shifted his glasses, "If you honestly think I'm going to fall for the same trick again, you've got another thing..."

**SMACK!**

"President!" The can then hit the president on the head which caused his followers to cry his name.

I laughed as Tamaki dragged Haruhi with him into the maze and I leaned against the tree, not bothered about playing. Kyoya knelt down to the can and started counting "One... two... three... four... five..."

I looked over to the president who looked majorly pissed off. He muttered something, which I didn't hear, and stormed off. Kyoya stood up saying "Six..." and smirked at the president.

He turned to me and held his hand out "Come with me, you'll find out the truth behind his intentions." I hesitated a little before taking his hand and running up to the newspaper club._ I can't believe we're holding hands. How embarrassing!_

We arrived and hid behind some of the newspapers. The twins were already there waiting for him to arrive. Suddenly we heard his voice in the hallway, "Who needs evidences? All I have to do is expose him. Everyone will see it. If I set my mind to it, I can imagine any number of articles that would cause a commotion among the idiots at this academy. I'm going to expose Tamaki for the twit he is."

_So that's it...he wanted to make Tamaki sound like a bad guy and get everyone to hate him._ The door slammed open as Kaoru smirked. "So we were right all along."

The president growled. "You, too." Hikaru continued, "Well, I guess it was pretty obvious."

"The boss is the only one who hasn't caught on yet. He can be really dense when it pertains to anything about himself," Kaoru stated.

Hikaru nodded "I should warn you. If you threat him, there will be consequences."

Kaoru finished with a smirk. "Are you ready to have the Hitachiins and every other club members' family as your enemy?"

The president growled at the twins. "I knew it. You're nothing but his lackeys. Tamaki's holding his parents' power over all of you."

Suddenly Hunny and Mori appeared from behind the door and Hunny stated, "That's not true. We don't hang out with Tama-chan because of his parents. We love him. We all like being around him and that's why we choose to be here."

Kyoya and I stepped out from behind the newspapers as Kyoya began, "He may be a hopeless idiot, but even so..." I looked around at everyone who wore smiles on their faces, like they were remembering a nice memory.

I spoke up, "Look, I don't know why you have this grudge against Tamaki. But I highly doubt that he has done anything to harm you. He is the last person that would ever do that."

The president growled at me and Hikaru began, "Well?"

"What will you do?" Koaru finished.

Hunny politely begged, "Please leave Tama-chan alone, okay?"

The president's eyes grew dark as he spat, "I'll get you all. It's not just about him anymore. I'll write an article that'll ruin all of you!"

He then pointed at me. "You are the first on my list. I already have dirty information about you!"

I looked at him confused. "What are you talking about?"

He laughed darkly and said in an equally dark tone, "You know exactly what I'm talking about...you whore child."

I glared at him "What did you just call me?"

He continued, "You're not fully Japanese now are you? Your father was British and your mother was Japanese. Your mother slept with your father just to get some money out of him, didn't she? You were nothing but an accident."

My eyes became clouded with tears but they never fell out. My fists clenched tightly and I screamed at him, "YOU BASTARD! How dare you say such awful things about my mother you arrogant prick!" I went to punch him but the twins quickly held me back. "Let me go! Get off me now! Let go!"

I struggled violently as Kyoya calmly said to him, "Go ahead. Be my guest. Although, what do you think we should do about this little disk? You see, it's been here since yesterday and it recorded everything."

I stopped struggling a bit at that and smirked. One of the boys said, "President."  
"Just give up already." the other begged.

The president fell to his knees whimpering as Kyoya stood above him stating, "Let me explain it to you in terms you can understand. You would do well to remember that the Otori group and the Hitachiin family alone own enough stock to remove your father from his position as president of the Komatsuzawa publishing firm. However, we would never do something like that. We are not like you. What we strive for is fundamentally different."

Then, unexpectedly, Kyoya bent down, grabbing the collar of the president's shirt and added, "And if you ever insult or insinuate anything about an innocent, young woman again, you will personally have the Host Club and specifically myself at your doorstep to make your life a living hell. Do you understand me?"

The president didn't dare look him in the eye and nodded. Kyoya stood up and made his way out as Mori and Hunny followed. The twins lead me out still holding onto me in case I decided to attack him again.

The twins let me go after the door closed as I fell to the floor hugging my knees. Hunny looked at me, "Are you okay, Maria?"

The twins looked at me sadly, "Yeah, what he said was totally uncalled for."

I nodded, "I'm fine...considering that part of it was true. I really am half British."

The others stared at her for a bit before Kyoya knelt down to her "It doesn't matter. We do not think of you as a whore child."

I smiled as he helped me stand up. On our way back the twins teased, "Hey Kyoya, that was a pretty brave thing you said about Maria."

Hunny smiled, "I've never seen you so angry before."

Kyoya blushed slightly, "W-well, I was only defending her against his words. It is the gentlemanly thing to do."

I hugged him. "Well, I'm glad you did, thank you so much." I felt him tense slightly and I let go to look for Haruhi and Tamaki.

We found them soon enough in the maze and Kyoya stated "I found you."

Tamaki and Haruhi sat up and barked "Woof!"

_It looks like Tamaki's puppy dog ways are contagious..._

We started making our way back through the maze as Tamaki asked "Where's the newspaper club?"

Since we didn't want Tamaki to know the truth the twins said in unison "They had to cancel. Something came up."

Hikaru continued "They said they're going to focus on writing respectable articles."

Kaoru finished "So maybe they'll get by without having to shut down."

Tamaki sighed in relief and smiled slightly "Oh really? That's good news."

Hunny smiled and said "Let's hurry back to the club room and eat some cake!"

Mori nodded "Yeah."

Tamaki smiled brightly and raised his arms in the air "That does sound good. Cake, cake!"

Me and Haruhi were walking with Kyoya as Haruhi asked "Kyoya senpai, I was wondering. Is the Suou family really that big a deal around here?"

Kyoya calmly stated "Well, the foundation of their business lies in corporate finance. But they do have some extensive real estate as well. You've heard of the Roy Grand Hotel and the Outo Theatre. They also have a hand in other things, like school management, for example."

I looked at him as I was a bit impressed and asked "I didn't know that. Which school?"

Haruhi and I kept walking as Kyoya stopped. We turned to him as he stated "Why, Ouran academy. You've been here long enough that you should at least know what the chairman of the school board's name is."

He walked past us and stated "You know, if you think about it, you're able to attend school here because of financial aid you received from Tamaki's family. You should be grateful to them."

Me and Haruhi looked at each other in realization as Tamaki called out "Haruhi! Hurry it up, or we're going to leave you! I would hate for you to end up lost again."

Kyoya was right...it was because of Tamaki's family that we were able to come here. He really is a nice guy.

**A/N: I would just like to thank a good friend of mine for helping me with this chapter. You know who you are :D Anyway I hope you like it and please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The summer holidays had finally arrived, no more school or textbooks or boring teachers controlling my life; it was the time for me to unwind and relax. Haruhi had decided to go and work for a friend of her dad's, of course they invited me and my mum as well so I helped get our stuff ready and waited for the car to arrive.

Mum said to me, "I feel so sorry for you, Maria. You have to drag me everywhere you go. I bet you're fed up of me."

I shook my head and said, "Of course not, Mum. In fact, I would hate to leave you here all by yourself anyway. You would get so bored. I'm sure Misuzu has activities you can do."

She smiled with delight as we heard the car outside. I gave mum her walking frame as we walked down to the car, put the suitcases in the boot and drove off to Karuizawa.

When we arrived Misuzu, of course, greeted us with open arms. "Oh my dears, look at how much you've grown! Come here, let me get a better look at you!"

She/he gave us an almighty close-to-death hug and showed us to our rooms. We decided to share a room together so it would be easier for us to help each other out. Misuzu stated to us, "Now dears, you will be starting work today so I'll give you your aprons now to try on quickly, okay?"

She twirled out as Haruhi and I looked at each other in disbelief as we saw the colour of the apron...yellow. "I hate the colour yellow! It reminds me of the girls uniform at school!"

Haruhi patted my shoulder and said, "It's not that bad. It's not like we have to wear it forever."

I sighed. "Fine, but I'm not wearing the matching bonnet!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes as we put on our banana coloured aprons and went downstairs to start work. Customers came in and out all day keeping us very busy, but it was so much fun they were so polite and kind. When a couple left Haruhi waved them off and told them, "Thank you. Have a nice day."

Meanwhile I was welcoming new customers in by saying, "Hi, good morning!" I showed them to their table and served them drinks and snacks. By the end of the day we were exhausted. Haruhi collapsed on her bed and groaned out, "Man, I'm beat. What a day it's been."

I collapsed on the bed as well and smiled. "I love days which keep me on my toes. I feel like I've accomplished something with it."

Haruhi nodded in agreement. "Who would've thought working in a bed and breakfast could be the ideal way to spend my summer?"

I nodded in agreement and we got into our beds and fell fast asleep. This was our daily routine for the next 2 days. However, one day Haruhi and I were hanging up the laundry outside.

"At first I was a little apprehensive about not telling the guys about my plans for the summer, but it isn't like they really have the free time to keep tabs on me anyway, right?" Haruhi opened up to me, but I nodded in agreement.

"We have a right to spend out summer how we want. This place is so tranquil. Fresh air, the quiet setting. The perfect highland to get a way for a girl to catch up on her studies."

Haruhi nodded. "It's gonna be great."

Suddenly a helicopter flew above us as Tamaki shouted through the speakerphone, "Haruhi! Maria! Despair not! Daddy's come to save you!"

We sighed and sweat dropped as Haruhi whined, "And by great, evidently I mean a nightmare."

He jumped out of his helicopter and hugged us tightly. "Oh my poor little princesses, Daddy's here to help you out of debt!"

I pushed him away from us and shouted, "What the hell are you doing here!?"

Just then the twins, Hunny, Mori and Kyoya all got out of a car and walked over to us. Haruhi stared in disbelief, "You're all here?!"

Hunny nodded. "Yep! We wanted to make sure you guys were ok!"

We sighed "Well you guys better come in then."

* * *

When we got inside my mum and Misuzu were talking but mum noticed us and began, "Oh my, your friends are here to? Oh, what a pleasant surprise. It's been a while boys."

Tamaki bowed gracefully and kissed my mum's hand. "It is always a pleasure to see you again, my dear."

I kicked him away and growled, "That's my mother, you pervert!"

He went off to the emo corner as the twins went up to my mum "It's nice to see you again Ma'am!"

Mum laughed "Oh boys I've told you already call me Claire!"

Kyoya smiled at my mum and shook her hand "It's a pleasure to see you again Claire."

Finally Misuzu gasped with delight "Oh my! What dashing young men you are! These hunks must belong to Haruhi and Maria!"

Tamaki got out of his emo corner and asked "Another fluttering tranny?" Misuzu twirled "Why don't you call me Misuzu-chi?"

Kyoya stated to Tamaki "He's an old friend of Ranka's. They used to work together at the same shop years ago."

Steam came out of Tamaki's ears as he moaned to Kyoya "Well, naturally you would know."

Haruhi whispered to me "Kill me."

I shook my head as Misuzu smiled "I went into business for myself 2 years ago, and believe you me. Running this adorable little pension is like living a fairy-tale."

Hunny tilted his head and asked "So then, are Haru-chan and Mari-chan like your indenture servants?" Kyoya shook his head "They're more like unpaid employees. This also happens to be Ranka's preferred method for keeping track of his daughter while he's busy working."

Tamaki did a double take and asked "What the.. How do you know all of this stuff?"

Haruhi whispered to me again "Kill me."

Then Misuzu beamed "'Take my little girl under your wing' he says! He practically begged me, And since I still can't afford the expensive hired help, it works out for everyone! They are model employees, really. It's such a shame I can't pay them anything. Oh, tell me what you boys think of this cute little apron they're wearing. I made it myself."

She/he shook Haruhi like a rag doll and Tamaki gave a thumbs up "You are an quite exquisite seamstress."

Misuzu looked at us and smiled "Why don't you two take a break? You can catch up with your delightful men!"

We nodded and went outside with the guys. Kaoru looked at us and asked "A job, huh? I don't get it. You turned down our invitation to Bali for this?"

Hunny added "And we even asked them to go with us to Switzerland, didn't we?"

Mori nodded "We did."

I shrugged "Yeah well, we still don't have passports, remember?"

Kyoya spoke up from his book "Which is precisely why I recommended one of our domestic resorts, and at a discount no less."

I shook my head "Then I would have felt like I was imposing on you Kyoya, and I'm sure Haruhi would to."

By this point I had no idea where Tamaki was at this point...probably hating the guys for inviting us to go on holiday with them. Hikaru looked at Haruhi and began "Why was your cell phone..."

"turned off?" Kaoru finished. Haruhi merely shrugged "I just don't think about it, really."

Tamaki suddenly appeared out of nowhere and asked "Did you say you have a cell phone?"

Hikaru nodded and said "We convinced her she should borrow one of ours, so we can keep in touch."

Kaoru continued "It's a part of a special friends and family plan."

Hikaru finished "Yeah, we're in each other's top five."

Tamaki had a look of despair on his face as his hand reached out to Haruhi "Top five!? Friends and family? But wait, I'm your daddy and buddy, so I'm a part of the plan too, right?"

Haruhi looked at Tamaki, sweat dropped, and said "Sempai, whatever planet you're on, come home." She suddenly had a realisation and asked "Speaking of which, why are you even here?"

I continued "Yeah, we're gonna have to see you guys every day when the new term starts. Don't we have the right to spend our summer vacations the way we want to?"

Kyoya, who had an evil glint in his glasses, pulled out a little book and stated "According to the hand book, jobs are prohibited."

_You bastard..._

Haruhi panicked and stated "I, uh, had no idea."

The twins started whispering loudly to make sure we could hear as Hikaru teased "Hey did you hear? Haruhi went and got herself a job without the school's permission."

Kaoru responded "No way. That's grounds for expulsion."

Hunny, not paying attention to the twins, smiles "I think Karuizawa is way better than Switzerland anyway."

Kyoya nodded in agreement "And oversea travel is so exhausting."

Tamaki grinned at me and Haruhi and stated "Of course, you do have the right to spend your vacation as you please. But then again, like it or not, so do we. And you know, I for one find pension Misuzu to be exceptionally charming."

Me and Haruhi just looked at each other and fell to the floor screaming "Nooooo!"

* * *

I sighed and went back in to get Misuzu, he came out with me as I explained to him that the guys wanted to stay here. But he cried "I'm so sorry boys. I'd love to have you all as guests, but I'm afraid there's only one vacant room left."

_Thank the Lord! Now we can enjoy our time in peace! _

But just then Tamaki smiled "Only one room, you say? Well, that settles it. I'll have to stay here to represent the club."

_Damn you Tamaki! _

Hunny whimpered "Hey, that isn't fair."

Hikaru started to mimic Tamaki "Have you no feeling of loyalty? Of any solidarity, boss?"

Kaoru finished "Togetherness is our guiding principle."

Tamaki gasped in shock and moaned "My own words twisted…And thrown right back at my face."

The twins suddenly had a mischievous look in their eyes and Hikaru began "Here's an idea. We bet you'll like it. Why not hold a little competition?"

Kaoru continued "Call it 'The Guest Relations Odd Jobs Contest at Pension Misuzu'."

"It's very simple. We all just lend a hand around the place for the afternoon."

"And whoever makes the best impression on Misuzu-chi gets to sleep in the vacant guest bedroom."

Misuzu squealed in delight "That's brilliant! I think it's an absolutely delightful idea! Yes, the winner of the contest will be determined by how refreshing they are! Remember, refreshing is the name of the game in guest relations!"

The twins smiled in delight and cheered "Refreshing, refreshing, yay!"

Misuzu then pointed at the boys and stated "Now, don't think this is going to be a walk in the park! Because I'm planning on working you boys to the bone!"

Haruhi and I looked at each other and sarcastically said "Sounds like a blast."

And so the competition began, Tamaki was trying (and failing) to build a fence while Hunny ate some cake. The twins showed guests to their rooms and while they were doing their jobs Misuzu would give them or take away refresher points, she/he turned to Mori and said "Oh, Mori, the legs on this table are wobbly. Would you be a dear and fix it up back please?"

Mori effortlessly lifted the table with one hand and nodded "Sure thing."

He walked outside while Misuzu smiled "Nothing wasted in word or deed! Five refresher points."

Haruhi and I looked at each other confused and Haruhi asked "So, what's a refresher point?"

Misuzu smiled and asked "Girls, what do you think guests are after when they come all the way out to vacation in Karuizawa?"

I pondered "Let's see... The nice weather?" Misuzu shook his head "Oh, it's much more than that. They come for what they can't get in the city. Refreshing air, refreshing scenery, and refreshingly gorgeous young men! And now thanks to your friends on a little contest, my pension will earn a reputation for being the premiere hot spot for vacationers such a finest eye candy Karuizawa can offer."

He danced around happily as Haruhi whispered to me "Okay, sounds like you have a plan. And it's uncanny how much you remind me of someone else I know."

I dragged Haruhi outside from the Renge look alike and she moaned "Why is that I always end up feeling like I bring host club with me wherever I go?" I patted her back "There there Haruhi."

We suddenly noticed Kyoya reading a book on the porch, we walked up to him and I said "Kyoya senpai, you're keeping your distance from all of this?"

He merely nodded "Of course. Winning means I end up staying here alone, which frankly doesn't appeal to me. I'll just sit back and watch things unfold then head for the cottage."

Haruhi looked at him confused "The cottage? You mean, your family's?"

Kyoya bluntly stated "That's right. We all have one in the area."

_Then, why make such a fuss about staying here?_

Kyoya looked up at us and smirked "So, who's your favorite to win? There must be someone you have in mind. Do you care to bet?"

I smirked at him, and feeling brave I nodded "Sure, I'll make a bet." I shook hands with Kyoya, sealing the deal, as he said "So, what's the prize if you win?"

I smiled "How about a bar of chocolate and a foot massage?"

He chuckled "Of course, a typical prize for a commoner but oh well , it's fine by me."

I asked "What about you Kyoya?" He smirked "I think I'll leave you guessing...I'd hate the ruin the surprise." He turned to Haruhi and asked "What about you Haruhi? Care to make a bet?"

Haruhi shook her head "Um, no thanks. I don't have a clue."

Kyoya looked surprised "Really? It's easy enough to tell at a glance. Honey-Senpai's brand of cute doesn't quite fit Misuzu's notion of refreshing. So I'm afraid he is out. Tamaki comes a little closer to the ideal, provided he keeps his mouth shut. But we both know the likelihood of that. Ordinarily you'd figure Hikaru and Kaoru. Then again, seems we have a dark horse."

We looked over at Mori, who was shirtless and chopping wood...for some reason...as girls drooled at the sight of him. Misuzu squealed "That's 20 more refresher points to Mori!"

I sat next to Kyoya as Haruhi asked "So then, you think he is the one?"

Before Kyoya could answer I shook my head "No, if Honey-senpai drops out, Mori-senpai is bound to go along with him. His participation in the game after all is more or less conditional to that."

Kyoya looked at me, slightly impressed, and smirked "Well observed Maria."

Suddenly Hikaru began "Which means,"

"Victory will be ours." Kaoru finished.

Haruhi turned to them "Well maybe not. I couldn't help but notice that the only room still available is a single bed. So if you did win, you couldn't both stay."

Hikaru shrugged "No big deal. We can just bring another bed over from the cottage."

Kaoru added "Yeah, we can even squeeze into the single."

I smiled at them "How sweet. I guess you guys really are always together, huh?"

Kaoru looked at me and nodded "Always."

Hikaru stated "The two of us have been together since we were born. So we haven't ever needed anybody else."

Haruhi tilted her head "Oh really?"

Hikaru grinned "But then... Well, that was before we knew you two. We totally let you sleep with us."

Haruhi held up her hand defensively "Ah thanks, I'll pass." I nodded "Same here."

Kyoya smirked at the twins and stated "The contest isn't quite decided yet. There's still a number of ways to make this game more interesting."

_This guy's always got something up his sleeve. Does that qualify as refreshing? _

Kaoru teased "Oh yeah? Thinking about helping the boss, are you?" Hikaru shook his head "We're not going to loose. It's no use."

The twins walked away as me, Haruhi and Kyoya went to watch Tamaki. I looked at Kyoya "Oh yeah, so who are you betting on winning?"

Kyoya smiled "I'm betting on the twins. They have their twincest charm that seems to entertain the guests."

I chuckled "True, but Tamaki has his looks about him...and his music, but he just needs to show that to Misuzu."

As I said that Misuzu said to Tamaki "Oh, your repairs are totally unrefreshing. Three point deduction."

I saw that Tamaki had grown depressed from his failed attempt to make a fence. Haruhi tilted her head "He used up so much of his energy trying to be refreshing that his work suffer for it. Is he all right in the head?"

Kyoya shrugged "He's never had an actual job before, you know."

I looked over at the twins who were playing with the water hose as Kaoru laughed "Hey, cut it out! That's cold!"

Hikaru chuckled "We have to chill the watermelon. That's how our guests like it." The girls around them squealed "Oh, so refreshing!"

_That's it! I'm not gonna loose to Kyoya...I want that chocolate bar! _

I walked over to the depressed Tamaki and began "I think your approach to winning is a bit skewed. Wouldn't you agree?"

Tamaki looked at me and sighed "Maria, can't you see that yours and Haruhi's esteem for me as a father figure hangs in the balance?"

I shook my head "If I may offer some of advice, there is something that only you can pull off. That is, if you choose the right music."

He looked up at me then ran inside and the next moment was filled with the beautiful melody of the piano. Guests were coming in left and right, drawn in by the music.

Kyoya chuckled from behind me "Well played Maria, but the game isn't over yet."

I smiled "Well lets hope the twins do something soon then...for your sake Kyoya."

He chuckled as we heard Kaoru shout "Look out!" CRASH!

I looked at Kyoya and ran towards to source of the sound. I saw that a pot had fallen from the ledge above and Kaoru saved Haruhi from getting hit. The girl upstairs asked "I'm so sorry! Are you two all right!?"

Kaoru nodded "Don't worry. We're okay. Right?"

Haruhi nodded slowly "Uh, yeah. Thanks. I'm fine."

I ran up closer to them as Hikaru ran past me "Kaoru! You're hurt. Let me see!"

I looked at Kaoru who had a nasty cut on his cheek, he chuckled "I'm fine. It's only a little cut. Hikaru?"

Hikaru sighed and rested his head against Kaoru's chest "Don't scare me like that."

_Oh no..._

Kaoru brought his brother's face up and smiled gently "Hey, I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

_Oh God please tell me they're not..._

They slightly chuckled and pressed their foreheads against each others.

_Oh please no! _

Misuzu then squealed and danced on top on the roof and shouted "Bravo! Bravo! 100 points for refreshing brotherly love! A perfect score! And the victory goes to the Hitachiin brothers!"

_Noooooooooo! They used their twincest act! Damn them both! _

I hung me head as I heard a dark chuckle behind me "I believe that's game over, Maria."

I turned to him and sighed "Ugh, well done Kyoya. Now what do I have to do?"

He chuckled evilly and whispered in my ear "A favour for the near future."

I shivered as his breath tickled my ear and he walked away, smirking.

* * *

The next day Haruhi and I went to the twins who were ready to eat breakfast as Hikaru said "Get us some breakfast, please. I'll have two pieces of baked beget toast with clarified butter and garnet seal syrup."

Kaoru added "I'll take poached eggs with bacon and a bowl of whole grained cereal. The kind with those little pieces of dried fruit in it."

Haruhi stuttered "Hold on. We don't even have that stuff on the menu."

Hikaru and Kaoru both looked at us and said "Huh?"

When suddenly Tamaki whacked the twins 'round their heads "Behave! Just who in the world do you think you are? Acting like members of some privileged aristocracy on holiday!"

Hikaru raised an eyebrow "We are aristocracy."

Kaoru followed suit "So are you, boss."

Tamaki shook his head "You are missing the whole point of travel. 'When in Rome do as the Romans do.' That's what I say. Take a look at this. Karuizawa cuisine fit for a king. Cold pasteurized Jersey steaks, fresh juice, highland vegetables, smoked salmon cooked over cherrywood, the local pride, I might add. And last but not least, freshly baked breads with homemade jam. Bon appetit."

Hikaru began "Since when have you..."

"been such a connoisseur?"Kaoru finished.

I laughed "Oh, since he started learning from Misuzu. He's been in the kitchen with him all morning long."

Tamaki beamed "While the two of you were sleeping the day away, I decided to start a refreshing host workshop. I even wrote a manual."

Haruhi looked at him unimpressed "You really need a life."

Tamaki ignored her and read "While you are acting as my apprentice, you may not treat me as your senpai. That is the first rule I have written."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow at him "Really?"

The twins looked through the manual and Hikaru said "Hey wait. Have you got rule number 5 yet? It says we have to be up by 6 a.m."

Kaoru asked "Have Kyoya senpai and Honey senpai read through the manual yet?"

Tamaki the had a pained look on his face as he went to his emo corner. Hikaru raised his hands in apology "Hey, look. We're sorry, boss."

Kaoru added "We didn't mean to stir up painful memories."

Just then the door opened and a male voice said "Good morning, Arai Produce!" _Wait...that voice. _

Misuzu smiled "Good morning to you! Working boy ay? A high schooler?"

The boy added "Yes, ma'am. I'm helping out my uncle shop for the Summer." _I know that voice from somewhere..._

Misuzu twirled "How refreshing! Haruhi, would you put these in the refrigerator for me?"

Haruhi nodded "Okay." As she picked up the box the boy's hat fell off as he asked "Haruhi Fujioka?"

Haruhi and I looked at him as Haruhi said "Hey, Arai?"

_So it was Arai...man this is gonna be interesting..._

**A/N: Dun dun duuuuuunnnnn! And the story continues in the next chapter! Man it has taken me FOREVER to write this. I'm sorry my lovely readers. Well I hope you liked it and please R&R...I do like getting reviews they are nice to get :)**


	17. Chapter 17

Arai stared at us as me and Haruhi stared back. I then smiled and hugged him. "Hey, Arai, it's been so long! How are you?"

I let go and he smiled back. "Oh, I'm fine." He turned his head towards the twins and Tamaki standing next to us, he asked, "So, uh, these your friends?"

Haruhi looked at them and chuckled. "Oh, yeah. This is Hikaru and Kaoru. They're in my class. And this is my sen…" she then paused, as if she was remembering something then continued, "An acquaintance of mine."

Tamaki froze as a loud sound echoed in the room._ The hell was that?!_ Tamaki muttered to Misuzu, "Mizusu, please don't add any sound effects to my moments of despair."

_Oh, it was Misuzu on the piano...what's wrong with this place?_ Haruhi and I put the food in the fridge and sat down with Arai to catch up. Haruhi smiled and said, "I haven't seen you since graduation."

Arai nodded. "Yeah. You cut all your hair off. That's such a shame."

Haruhi played with her hair as she replied, "I don't think so. I mean, since I cut it, it has been easier to manage."

Arai turned to me and stated, "You cut your hair to Maria. What changed your mind?"

I chuckled nervously and said, "Well, it's not like I had a choice in the matter, but I'm glad I got it cut."

He nodded and asked, "So, how's Ouran treating you? Do you keep in touch with anyone from middle school anymore?"

Haruhi nodded "Yeah, a little. Kazumi still calls me. What about you?"

He chuckled. "Same, but since most of the guys go to the same school as me I can't seem to get a break from them." He all laughed as we cherished our memories from Middle School, then Arai looked at the guys and asked, "So, these guys are all in a club with you?"

Haruhi bluntly replied, "Host Club."

"Oh, is that so?" Arai smiled.

But before we could continue Hikaru shouted from the bar, "Hey, Haruhi! Don't you think you should be working? You shouldn't be slacking off!"

_What's his problem?_ Haruhi explained, "Misuzu said I can take a break."

I noticed that Tamaki wasn't around and turned my head to find him in his emo corner...ripping paper? I shook my head and said, "Hey, quit making more garbage I'll have to take out."

Tamaki pouted, "It's not garbage. I'm making a hamster home."

Haruhi turned her attention to the depressed Tamaki and sighed, "But Senpai, you don't have a hamster."

Tamaki mimicked. "I'm not your senpai. I'm just an acquaintance of yours."

_Ugh he is like a drama queen! Actually I take that back he IS a drama queen!_ Arai laughed at the scene before him. "Wow, who knew you Ouran guys were so funny? You know, it's such a prestigious school. I've always imagined that it was a whole different world."

I mumbled "It's a different world, all right."

Arai then looked down and smiled gently. "To be honest with you, I was kinda worried you two were gonna have a hard time going to such an elite school. I'm glad to see you're doing well."

Haruhi smiled at his kindness which caused him to blush. "I mean, it's not like I was the only one who was worried about you. Lots of people were."

We chatted for a little while longer before Hikaru shouted, "I'm just saying! It's obvious this guy has a thing for Haruhi! It's sickening to watch him try and flirt!"

I was shocked at Hikaru's mean attitude as Haruhi scowled, "Hikaru! What's wrong with you? Quite acting like such a Jerk!"

Arai chuckled nervously, "Hey, it's no big deal. He's right. I did have a thing for you once. But who cares? You already turned me down, right?"

Tamaki and Hunny gasped, "Huh?!"

As did Haruhi, "Huh?!"

She stood up from her chair as Kyoya asked, "Why do you look so surprised?"

Haruhi stuttered, "Well, I didn't know..."

Tamaki slammed his hands on the table as he said, "You have to fill us in on this story, Arai. Now when did this happen?"

Arai smiled "Well, it was about a year ago..."

Arai told the guys the story of how he found Haruhi in the hallway to try and confess his love to her. However, since Haruhi didn't understand what he had meant due to their conversation about new schools he gave up.

The guys turned to Haruhi and Kyoya frowned, "Haruhi. You broke this innocent man's heart, just to get a laugh from some sick joke?"

_Wait a minute, when did this turn into an interrogation?_ Haruhi slumped her shoulders and said, "No. That couldn't have happened. I didn't understand what he meant..."

Hunny shook his head and said, "This crime is pretty serious, huh?"

Haruhi turned to Arai and bowed her head deeply. "I'm so sorry."

Arai chuckled. "So, you're turning me down again a whole year later? Don't worry, Fujioka. I'm over it already. You didn't realize what I meant, so that means you weren't interested. But you know... I was always drawn to that faraway look in your eyes. And the way you've looked someone in the eye when you spoke to them. I like that about you. I always thought you were special."

Tamaki beamed with delight. "You think that much of my little girl? Don't worry, I'll never forget your gallantry!"

I couldn't contain my laughter anymore and burst into laughter "Hahahahaha! Oh Arai, I told you this would happen!"

Haruhi turned to me in shock and shouted, "You knew?!"

I chuckled and said, "Of course I knew. Before he went to confess to you he found me in the classroom and told me that he liked you. So, I told him to go tell you, but knowing you...you wouldn't have guessed it in a million years!"

Kyoya asked, puzzled, "So if you knew, why didn't you inform Haruhi?"

I shook my head and said, "It wasn't my place to say. Arai didn't want me to tell her so I didn't."

Arai smiled at me. "Thanks for keeping your promise, it meant a lot to me."

I smiled back and replied with, "You're welcome. What are friends for?"

The guys, apart from the twins, pulled up a chair and asked Arai about what we were like in Middle school...it was the most embarrassing thing ever! I noticed that the twins weren't coming over, as did Tamaki who waved to them, "Hikaru, Kaoru! Get over here! This may be our only chance to hear what Haruhi was like in Middle school."

Trust him to only want to know about Haruhi...pervert. Hikaru scoffed, "Sorry, but I'm not interested. Man, how stupid can you guys get? Where is the fun sitting around talking about somebody's past. I don't see the appeal."

I couldn't believe that Hikaru was acting like such a jerk as I shouted, "Come on, Hiakru, don't be so prissy about it."

However he ignored me and continued, "Besides, doesn't that guy realize Haruhi doesn't want anything to do with him? She's got plenty of friends. So, she doesn't need you around. Get it?"

While he was talking Haruhi, out of anger, got up from her chair, walked over to Hikaru and raised her hand. I shouted, "No Haruhi don't!"

But I was too late. SLAP! Haruhi slapped Hikaru across the face and shouted, "That's not something for you to decide, Hikaru! I'm not gonna tolerate you insulting my friends anymore! You got that!?"

I was frozen on the spot as Hikaru stood up and shouted, "But why? Why should anyone else even matter to you? I thought we were your friends! Are we or aren't we?!"

He ran off as Kaoru went after his brother, "Hikaru! Wait for me!"

Tamaki shook his head and muttered, "Their world is still so small. It's such a shame."

I was still frozen but I managed to push my seat away as I stood up, by this time Haruhi remembered something and turned to me with a sorry look on her face "Maria...I...I..." I didn't hear the rest as I ran off to my room and laid on my bed, burying my face into the comforting pillow.

* * *

_Haruhi's POV_

I was just so angry at Hikaru that I didn't even realize what I was doing. It was only after he ran off that I remembered something I promised Maria. I turned to her, she looked like she was about to cry as she ran off before I could apologize.

I showed Arai to the door as I bowed my head saying, "I'm really sorry, Arai."

He rubbed the back of his neck as he smiled, "It's okay. I don't know what I did, but whatever it was, it sure seemed to set him off, huh?"

Hunny-senpai then shouted, "Hika-chan." We all turned around to see Hikaru coming down the stairs.

_Wait a second that's not Hikaru..._I kept silent as Kaoru mumbled, "I was out of line. I'm sorry."

Arai smiled gently "Thanks, don't worry about it. Well, see you soon, Fujioka. Bye, guys."

He took off on his bike as we waved goodbye then I asked, "So Kaoru. Tell me why you're pretending to be Hikaru. Hey, what happened to that scratch on your cheek?"

I pinched his cheek as he answered through gritted teeth, "I just covered it up with some concealer."

I let go as he continued, "I don't think Hikaru's temper is gonna let up anytime soon. He's no fun when he's like this, so I've got a small favor to ask of you. How would you like to go out with me tomorrow on a date?"

I shrugged, "Sure, I don't mind..."

But Tamaki pulled me back and yelled, "No! Daddy will not allow it! You're far too young to go on dates!"

I shook him off and said, "Cut it out senpai it's only Kaoru. What's he gonna do?"

Tamaki sulked in that weird corner as I frowned. "I need to go talk to Maria. I think she might be angry with me."

Everyone looked at each other as Tamaki exclaimed, "I shall go for you dearest! Maria is my child to!"

Hunny whined, "Why should you go? I wanna help!"

Kyoya calmly stated while everyone argued, "I'll go talk to her for you if you want, I'm more likely to talk some sense into her than anyone else here."

I nodded and said, "Thanks Kyoya-senpai."

Kyoya smiled and said, "No problem, you can pay me back later." He walked off towards Marias room._ I knew they'd be a catch..._

* * *

_Maria's POV_

I didn't know how long it had been, it was sunset and Arai most likely had gone home. Haruhi was probably still working as I laid on my bed. Then I heard a knock and someone came in.

"You've been in here for quite some time, Maria. Have you been crying?"

I quickly wiped my face and sniffed. "No...it's allergies. What do you want, Kyoya?" I didn't look at him as he shut the door and I felt the bed shift in weight.

"You know, it's not polite to look away from someone that is talking to you."

I sighed and turned my head to him. He was looking at me with a gentle expression on his face, which was rare for Kyoya. He asked "Why did you run off like that?"

I averted my gaze from him. "I don't wanna say."

He chuckled and said, "You sound like a child. Come on, I'm a good listener, you know."

I chuckled at his vanity and sat up, leaning against the pillow on the bedpost. I patted the spot next to me and said, "You might as well get comfy. It may take a while."

He shifted his way next to me as I began, "Well, you know about my mum becoming ill and my dad leaving us?" He nodded silently as I continued, "Well, since my dad became a drunk we were low on money. We spent a lot on my mum's medical expenses and my dad wasted most of it on booze. When my dad turned to alcohol he became more aggressive...more violent." I clenched my fists and continued, "Every time he came home and found my mum he would beat her up...calling her useless, worthless, an ignorant, selfish bitch. He punched her, spat at her...slapped her."

Tears pricked my eyes, I looked at Kyoya who had a poker face...but was clenching the bed sheets as I continued, "There wasn't a damned thing I could do about it...I was so young and so weak there was no way I could have fought him back. I was too scared and I felt so useless."

I sobbed a little but pressed on, "I told Haruhi about what happened at home and she promised me that she would make sure I would never witness her or any of our friends doing something like that..."

I stopped as Kyoya carried on for me, "So, when Haruhi slapped Hikaru it brought back unsavory memories for you?"

I nodded. "I bet you must think I hate Haruhi now...but I don't. I know Haruhi and she would never do something like that thinking straight. It was in the heat of the moment and I understand why she did it...but I hated the memories it brought back."

Before I knew what I was doing I snuggled into Kyoya's chest and started crying. When I realised what I was doing I thought he was gonna push me away...but he didn't. Instead he patted my head and stroked my hair, he was obviously feeling awkward but he continued to comfort me. I felt better under his touch, not wanting it to end, but I reluctantly got up and smiled at him. "Thanks Kyoya...you really are a nice guy."

We stared at each other for a few moments, his eyes were looking into mine like he was looking at my soul. Then he held a box of tissues in front of my face. "For your...allergies."

I chuckled and wiped my face and blew my nose, quickly disposing of the used tissues. He stood up from the bed and went to the door ready to leave, then he turned to me with his usual expression and stated, "Don't tell anyone about this or I'll increase your debt by 20%."

I chuckled, "Only if you promise not to tell the others about my...secret." He nodded and quickly left the room. I shook my head, trying to ignore the feelings dwelling up inside of me.

* * *

Haruhi came back into the room and apologized, "I am so sorry, Maria. I'm not gonna make up excuses, but if you can forgive me..."

I smiled. "Of course I forgive you silly, I wasn't angry with you to begin with."

The usually emotionless Haruhi hugged me tight as we prepared for the next day...since she had a date with Kaoru. The next morning I woke up to hear the vibration of my phone. I looked at the screen to see it was Kaoru.

I answered in hushed tones, "What is it, Kaoru? I'm tired."

He laughed nervously. "Hehe, sorry Maria, but I need to tell you something. You know I'm supposed to go on a date with Haruhi today?" I nodded to myself as he continued, "Well, my real plan is for Haruhi and Hikaru to make up so I'm sending him on the date instead. I want my brother to become more mature by sending him out on this date. The others already know, apart from Hikaru and Haruhi of course, so I need you to go to another room while the maids get her changed."

I whispered sharply, "Fine. But you owe me one, Kaoru."

He chuckled. "Thanks Maria. Oh, the others are downstairs by the way, I'll meet you down there once the plan is underway."

We said our goodbyes as I sighed, "This isn't a James Bond movie you know..."

I quickly grabbed some shorts, a red tank top and red converses and quickly got changed in the bathroom. I grabbed my necessities before meeting the others downstairs. Of course Tamaki was as right as rain, Mori was...well Mori. But Hunny and Kyoya were letting off a scary aura.

Tamaki hugged me tight and said, "Good morning my beautiful princess! How are you today?"

I choked out, "Hey Tamaki, hey Mori."

Mori grunted, "Hey."_ As usual a man of many words._

Tamaki let go as I pointed at Kyoya and Hunny, "What's wrong with them?"

Tamaki shuddered, "They not morning people...they hate getting woken up."

_Oh yeah, Hunny's like the devil when he wakes up...and I'm not surprised Kyoya was the same._ Over time, Kyoya and Hunny woke up as Kaoru came running down to us. "Hey guys, thanks for coming. Look to cut to the chase we're gonna follow Haruhi and Hikaru on their date, just to make sure everything goes okay. So, lets go!"

He ran out of the building as we had no choice but to follow after him. In town we found Hikaru and Haruhi talking, so we watched them from a nearby cafe. Me, Kyoya and Mori watched from a table while Kaoru struggled keeping Tamaki at bay, "Haruhi!"

"Be careful, boss! They'll see us!"

Tamaki yelled to Kaoru, "Why are Hikaru and Haruhi on a first date anyway?! I don't understand! How are yesterday's events related to this?!"

Hunny, being a great guy for timing, stated, "You know, this might be Haru-chan's first date."

Being the cruel woman I was I smiled, "Actually, you're right, Hunny. It is her first date."

Tamaki screamed even more and struggled more aggressively against Kaoru, "Aah! Check it out! Pay for that! And look at what she's wearing! It's cute! It's super cute!"

Kaoru shrugged sheepishly, "Oh... I can explain..."

We stepped outside to watch them as Tamaki continued his diva tantrum, "No fair! No fair, no fair! No fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair, no fair." _He's such a child..._

Kaoru sighed and began, "Boss, it's hard for you to understand, but it would be good for Hikaru to find other people he can feel close to. The only people we've ever been able to depend on were ourselves. We didn't care what anyone else thought about us. That's probably how we ended up so self-centered."

Tamaki stopped ranting and raving at this point and asked, "So, you're admitting it?"

Kaoru shrugged, "I guess you could say Hikaru is immature and lets his emotions take over. See, I'm not sure he's even aware of it, but I can tell that he cares about Haruhi. He just doesn't know how to react, so his emotions run wild. He's selfish and wants all of her attention. He wants to be acknowledged by her but doesn't know how to make that happen. If you want true friends, friends who aren't only your toys, you have to learn to respect them. That's the only way you can have a meaningful relationship. And I think it's about time that Hikaru learned that lesson himself."

Tamaki stood there in amazement, "Kaoru, that was amazing."

Kyoya nodded in understanding. "So, in other words, this date is basically a test to see if Hikaru can handle being thoughtful towards others, right?"

Kaoru frowned. "Just promise me you won't interfere with them, okay?"

Tamaki questioned, "Fine, but then why are you making us follow them?"

Koaru snuck behind a tree and stated, "Because there's no reason we should miss out on watching something this interesting."

_He may be more mature...but he's still a little kid on the inside._

We watched as Haruhi and Hikaru were trying to decide what to do on their date...however Hikaru wasn't really making an effort which caused Tamaki to make another moan, "How could he call himself a host member?! This is the lamest excuse for a date I've ever seen! I should switch with Hikaru! I'll show her a good time!"

_Am I the only one who took that the wrong way?_ Kaoru struggled to hold Tamaki back once again as he pained. "That would ruin everything!"

Tamaki pointed at Kyoya and shouted, "Get out there, Kyoya! Act like a punk and pick a fight with Haruhi, so Hikaru will have to rescue her!"

Kyoya shook his head. "Where do you dream this stuff up?"

I then looked over to see Hunny, disguised as an old man, chanting, "Ice cream! Ice cream! Does anyone want ice cream?"

Mori rushed in before the two could notice and stated to Hunny, "Bad idea."

I looked over and saw Haruhi buying some ice cream. Tamaki seemed to have noticed to as he rushed into the shop, put on a disguise and stopped them from sharing and ice cream together.

"What a pretty young lady! Here is another one for you, on the house!"

Haruhi smiled. "Thank you, sir. Delicious!"

Hikaru smiled after a lick of his ice cream, "You're right, it is pretty good."

The two walked away as Kaoru shook Tamaki. "What do you think you're doing?! It was finally going well!"

Tamaki exclaimed in defense, "You think I'm gonna let them share an ice cream cone like a couple!? That's indirect kissing!"

The poor man who owned the store was just standing there watching them as I dragged them out. "I'm terribly sorry sir, they sometimes get a little too carried away."

He nodded nervously as I dragged the two out. Once we found Haruhi and Hikaru again they were having a good time, laughing and smiling on their date. Kaoru shook his head in shock. "We take our eyes off of them for a second and settle everything is great."

Kyoya nodded. "That's true, but I get a feeling Haruhi is the one in charge here." Hunny giggled "It looks like that the ice cream stand how smooth things over."

Mori bluntly stated, "I doubt it."

Kaoru then turned to us, "We should get going. If we get caught, it's gonna ruin everything. And anyway, I don't think the boss can handle much more of this."

We looked over and saw Tamaki hugging a lamp post and crying "That looks like so much fun..."

I grabbed Tamaki by the shirt and dragged him away. "Come on, we don't wanna get caught."

* * *

When we arrived back at the inn it started raining and there were thunderstorms...Haruhi and Hikaru hadn't come back yet. Kaoru looked out the window. "Check out that lightning."

Hunny spoke with concern, "I sure hope those two didn't get stuck in the rain."

Tamaki and I were pacing back and forth with worry while Misuzu said, "Dear, please try to settle down."

Tamaki began, "I should go out and look for them! Uh-"

But before he could continue the phone rang and Misuzu answered, "Hello, this is Pension Misuzu! Oh, it's you Arai. What is it? What? Haruhi and Hikaru? Hm. Hm. Thank you. Hikaru should have his cell with him so I'll try giving him a call. Good bye now."

Misuzu put the phone down and turned to us with a solemn expression, "Evidently, Hikaru left Haruhi in front of the produce shop and decided he head back on his own. Arai said Haruhi took off after Hikaru and that's when it started pouring. He was worried so he called to make sure they made it home okay."

Tamaki quickly got out his phone and called Hikaru, when he answered, Tamaki shouted, "You idiot! I want you to turn around and start looking for Haruhi right now! What kind of jerk would leave a girl out in a thunderstorm like this by herself?! Now you listen to me, Haruhi is terrified of thunder! Whenever she hears it, she gets so scared she can't even move! Why don't you spend less time concentrating on your jealousy and worry about someone else for once?!"

He hung up and snapped his phone shut. We all stared at Tamaki as Kaoru asked, "So...Haruhi's afraid of thunder?"

I nodded, "She's been scared of it since she was little, she's absolutely petrified of it."

Hunny nearly cried in sadness, "Poor, Haru-chan."

I twiddled my thumbs in worry and about an hour later Haruhi and Hikaru arrived back at the inn; drenched from the rain. I ran up to Haruhi and hugged her tight, "Oh Haruhi, are you okay? You must have been so scared."

Haruhi smiled weakly, "I'm okay, Hikaru found me in time."

I looked at him as he averted his eyes from mine. "Look...I'm sorry Maria. Everyone. I've been a real jerk."

I smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "Yeah, you have. But it's okay, everyone has bad days."

He smiled as we got them cleaned up and we all went to bed. The next day Haruhi and I went straight back to work and Arai came in to see us, "What's up?"

Haruhi smiled and said, "Hey, good morning, Arai."

Arai lifted the watermelon and said "I brought you a watermelon. My Uncle's got the best in town."

Hunny jumped in excitement. "Oh, Wow! It's huge!"

Tamaki looked at the melon and nodded. "It's certainly an impressive melon."

Just then Hikaru walked over to Arai, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Arai smiled at him and handed the watermelon to him "Here."

Hikaru took the yummy fruit and smiled, "Thanks a lot."

* * *

_Kaoru's POV_

When I saw my brother smiling at Arai, I knew that everything was settled between the two of them. Kyoya and I watched from the second floor as he asked me, "By the way, a question about your strategy. Did you ever consider the possibility that the date might go too well and those two might fall in love?"

I chuckled. "Nah, it's still too soon for that. Hikaru is kind of a dummy."

Tamaki then shouted to us, "Hey, come down here! It's time for some melon!"

Kyoya smiled, "Well, then he's lucky because our club is full of dummies."

I noticed that he wasn't even paying attention to the watermelon...he was looking at something, or should I say someone else. I smirked at him and said, "Looks like Hikaru's not the only one who should be worried about falling in love, right Kyoya?"

He turned to me with a confused look on his face, but I smiled and walked downstairs to join the others leaving a flustered Kyoya behind me.

**A/N: Ooooo romance is blooming! How romantic! Ok I'm so so so sorry for taking so long with this, I had major writers block but I'm ok now :D Oh I must thank my wonderful friend for Beta-reading this for me...you know who you are :P Well I hope you liked it and R&R :D**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_Kyoya's POV_

I woke up to an aching pain in my back. I stretched to ease the muscles, but froze when I opened my eyes to see the unfamiliar surroundings around me. _How did I wind up here?_ I thought to myself. There were children rushing around with their mothers, couples holding hands and elderly people observing the antiques. It was a very busy place.

_I was sleeping comfortably in my own bed just a few minutes ago. No, wait. Tamaki was carrying on about some sort of exhibit. He had his heart set on all of us going, I think._ I thought back to this morning where I was rudely woken up by Tamaki, the twins, Hunny and Mori. They were going on about the last day of summer, but I simply told them I wasn't interested. They must have dragged me here when I was still asleep.

_Oh, right. That's how. Looks like I'm at the Izumi shopping center, which isn't exactly within walking distance of home. Guess I'll call to have a car sent out._ I checked my jean pocket, but my phone nor wallet was in there. I checked every pocket, but I couldn't find either of them. I could only think that the idiots didn't bother with my phone and wallet, or I had been mugged. It was most likely the first of the two.

A small boy then ran into my leg and whimpered a bit before saying "Oh wow, sorry." I looked down at the boy and he ran away crying, "Mama!"

I clenched my fist and ground my teeth together. "Tamaki is a dead man when I get my hands on him."

Just then I heard a familiar voice behind me asking, "Kyōya-senpai?"

I turned to the voice and saw Haruhi and Maria looking at me confused. Haruhi continued with, "I didn't expect to see you here today."

I pondered my thoughts before saying, "How much money do you have on you?"

They both looked at each other and asked, "What?"

I calmly explained my situation and then added, "Since I haven't eaten, I would be grateful if we could get something to eat."

Maria smiled her gentle smile and said, "Well, I have no problem with that. I'm a bit hungry myself and I think it's about lunchtime anyway."

Haruhi shrugged "I guess, so where do you wanna eat Kyoya?"

I looked at the amount of money they had and saw a fast food place nearby ."We'll go there." I started walking and both the girls quickly followed behind.

* * *

_Maria's POV_

I couldn't believe that we found Kyoya at the mall. Since it was the last day of summer vacation we stopped working at Mizuzu's place and were doing some shopping to check out the new stuff at the products expo.

We arrived at the fast food place as Haruhi asked, "Kyoya senpai, are you sure this is where you want to eat? There are much nicer restaurants to choose from upstairs."

Kyoya shrugged. "Well, you don't have much on you, so our choices are limited. Just be sure to get a receipt. Tamaki will reimburse you ten fold."

We queued up and Kyoya didn't even say anything. He was probably hungry and tired.

Haruhi whispered to me, "How did this happen? All I wanted was a little peek at the products expo. Why did we have to run into Kyōya-senpai? And why did he have to be in such a foul mood?"

Before I could even reply we heard Kyoya say, "Hey, I think it's our turn. How do I order?"

I walked up next to him and looked at him. "Here, why don't I order for us? Do you know what you want?"

I thought I saw a little blush on his face as he turned away. "You, pick. Just get us a lot of it."

I shrugged it off and turned to Haruhi. "You want your usual, don't you?"

She nodded and I turned to the clerk and said, "Okay, that and that one and that one, with fries too, please."

I could see that the clerk was looking at Kyoya as she smiled "Okay, coming right up. Would you be interested in adding one of delicious desserts?"

Kyoya replied, bored, "Thank you. No, I don't care for sweets."

I could see the gleam in her eyes, which strangely made me feel a bit angry. But I didn't know why when she added, "Before you decide, we have a new shake that's absolutely-"

Kyoya then turned to her, obviously pissed off and said, "I have given you my answer."

The girl was squealing in happiness while a shaking Haruhi said, "Please be sure to include our receipt."

As soon as we sat down Haruhi scolded, "Kyōya-senpai, just because you're in a bad mood today doesn't give you the right to go around talking to people like that. The poor girl was just doing her job."

Kyoya unwrapped his burger and stated, "Her job is to serve us a food, not to irritate me with some weak sales pitch."

He took a big bite of his burger and looked content that he was eating. I couldn't help but stare at his profile, and he seemed to notice when he said to me, "Now what?"

I quickly shook my head. "Nothing. I just don't think I've ever actually seen you eat before. Somehow I thought your experience would be more refined. I'm surprised food like these even appeals to you."

Kyoya shook his head. "It doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. No doubt you'll say I'm callous for admitting it, since you bought this tripe."

I sheepishly laughed. "Of course, I won't." _I will think it, though._

Kyoya stated between eating, "There is an understanding between makers of food like this and those that eat it. Quality takes a back seat to convenience. Refinement isn't part of the equation. It's meant to be eaten quickly. Besides no one of consequence is here to witness my momentarily lapse of manners."

Haruhi then whispered to me, "He must be taking a break from the whole nice guy act today. I guess even rich people have to let their hair down every once in a while."

Kyoya then looked at us in the eyes after finishing his burger. "Hey, for the record, I'm saying it benefits me nothing to keep up appearances in a place like this. And that includes any special treatment I may give you here."

I rolled my eyes and replied sarcastically "Oh, really? I never would've guessed that in a million years."

Kyoya scowled at me and I poked out my tongue back. Just then a girl came up to us and asked, "Um, excuse me. I'm so sorry to interrupt. I was wondering if you're not using this chair, can my friends and I borrow it?"

Kyoya leaned back on his chair casually and said, "Why not?"

Her and her friends squealed, "Thank you so much. That's awesome."

Kyoya sighed. "You're quite welcome."

I stared at him again and thought to myself, _I've never seen this side of Kyōya-senpai before. Is he always this indifferent if there's nothing for him to gain? Tamaki-senpai couldn't act this way if his life depended on it. How do they compliment each other so well? _

Kyoya turned back to me and Haruhi. "You're probably wondering how Tamaki and I compliment each other so well?"

Haruhi and I both jumped, since we seemed to be thinking the same thing as Haruhi whispered, "Oh great. Now he's inside my head. What is he, telepathic or something?"

Kyoya smirked. "The answer is simple. I have something to gain. There is no better motivator than self-interest. I have to look out for number one, you know."

Haruhi looked sad at this answer. "Tamaki-senpai would be heartbroken, if he heard you say that."

_Awwww she does care..._

Kyoya replied, "On the contrary. He's understood our arrangement from the very beginning. The same goes for all of them. Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai; the glue that holds the host club together is our mutual egocentricity.

"It's the principle that drives the alliance between our families and ensures each of our futures. Though, well, let's just say there's still quite a bit you don't understand about that. Although Tamaki is a fool and self sacrifice does come naturally to him. So I guess the point of this is we are very different creatures."

I looked at Kyoya again and couldn't help but blush at his handsome profile. He wasn't wearing a fancy suit, just a shirt and jeans. His usually neat hair was a bit messy but it didn't look out of place..._He looks so sexy_...I quickly stood up and said, "Excuse me for a moment, I'm going to the restroom." With that, I ran to the toilet as fast as I could to hide my blush.

* * *

_Haruhi's POV_

Kyoya and I watched as Maria left, but Kyoya's stare seemed to focus on nothing but her. Even though he showed no emotion on his face I could tell something was up...I had to ask him as it had been on my mind for a while now. "Hey Kyōya-senpai, can I ask you something?"

He turned to me with his bored expression and asked, "What is it?"

I asked, "I just wanted to know; do you have a crush on Maria?"

Then for the first time there was an emotion on his face that I thought I would never see; shock. His eyes widened and I could make out the faintest of blushes on his cheeks. He looked away from me and tried to keep cool. "What makes you ask that?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, you always seem happier when she's around. You treat her the nicest out of all of us and it just seems that way."

Kyoya sighed and looked at me again. "I was hoping no one would find out. I have a profile to keep up, you know."

I asked, "So you do like her then? Why not just tell her how you feel?"

He shook his head. "My personality is the cool type. How can I keep that up if I make a fool out of myself. We will lose customers."

I scowled and stated, "But you shouldn't be thinking about the profit of the club; you have a life and you should live it how you please."

Kyoya remained silent, like he was thinking about something before saying, "You won't say anything, right? Remember, I have a lot of information about you in my book..."

I quickly said, "Okay, I won't say anything! Jeez!"

He chuckled as we continued eating our food.

* * *

_Maria's POV_

I washed my hands and looked at my reflection in the mirror. _I can't believe I thought that...what was I thinking?! He's so cold, scary, kind, handsome, considerate...No, Maria, stop! You are not in love with him!_

I shook my head, to clear my thoughts and walked back to Kyoya and Haruhi who had just finished eating. I smiled and asked, "Ready to go now?"

They nodded and we left the restaurant, but even though Kyoya told us he was going to get a cab home, he started following us around. Haruhi sighed. "Senpai, I thought you were gonna take a taxi home."

Kyoya shoved his hands in his pockets casually and said, "I am, but I might as well have a look around first."

He then stopped at looked at some earrings on display nearby. "Black pearls from Ishigaki Island. Odd to find them here, considering how much they go for."

I looked at him amazed. "You're kidding. Really that's incredible. How can you tell, Senpai?"

Kyoya looked back at me with a proud smile, "I am the product of excellent breeding."

I rolled my eyes. "Breeding, huh?"

Haruhi then whispered to me, "Well, that would account for the wall of ice he's putting up between us."

Haruhi then began walking away and I asked, "What are you doing?"

She turned to me and smiled. "I need to get some shopping done, since you finished, why don't you show Kyoya around?"

I pleaded, "No, don't leave me!" She merely chuckled and disappeared into the crowd. _I'll get you for that Haruhi..._

I then quickly followed Kyoya as he had started walking ahead and asked, to try and break the ice, "So, Kyōya-senpai, why is it after all this time I still know next to nothing about your family?"

He shrugged. "Because there's really nothing for you to know about my family, at least nothing that should be of interest to you."

I scowled at him. "Well, that seems to be a little bit unfair, don't you think?"

He glared at me from the side. "Just what do you mean, "unfair"?"

I raised my voice a little, agitated by his ignoranc.e "I mean, when it comes to my personal life, you even keep tabs on who my best friend's father's friends from work are. I barely have a clue about yours. So, I call that unfair."

However, he didn't seem unfazed by my tone and said, "That's a very intriguing notion, in its own way."

I sighed. "You've got two older brothers, right? For starters, you could tell me something about them. What kind of people are they?"

Kyoya then went into a deep thought, as if he was reminded of something and recalled the memory. He then smiled, but in a forced manner. "They are rather exceptional, enough so that my father puts a lot of stock in them. Though, as the third son, things work out a little differently for me."

I frowned at his words. "I didn't realize there's so much pressure on you to succeed."

He then turned to me, as if I said something stupid. "Pressure? Oh no, Maria. I can't think of nothing more fun than this."

Just then we heard a woman from a nearby stool say, "Dear me! Pieces from the Komatsu Shoin collection? I never thought that I would find them here."

The man smiled politely. "Why madam, you have an astonishing eye."

I looked at Kyoya, who was glaring at the man. "Um, Senpai?"

Before I could ask anymore he began walking over to them. The man added to the woman, "You know, they have such exquisite color, don't they? To tell you the truth, I'm not really even supposed to have these out on display. The bulk of the Komatu collection has been privately held for ages. Pieces rarely come out for sale."

Kyoya then casually walked up to him and said, "With all due respect, these are fake."

They both looked at him in shock and the man shouted, "Hey! Get out of here, kid! What do you think you're doing?!"

Kyoya picked up one of the pots and examined it carefully. "The shade of blue is strongly reminiscent of Shoin's work, but looking closely around the base, you'll notice the color graduation isn't quite dark enough to be authentic. That and the lacquer is too clear."

The man obviously began to sweat and threatened, "That's enough of you, Mr. Expert. I'll report you for obstructing my business."

Kyoya merely ignored him and continued, "Just as I thought. The brush strokes on this seal are uncharacteristically broad as well. For your sake, I hope you have a certificate. That is if you still insist it's real."

The man stuttered nervously, "O-of course, it's real. I have the certificate at home."

Kyoya smirked confidently. "Ah, then surely you won't mind if I call the Komatsu family right now to verify your claim. My own family has had dealings with them for generations. It would only be a matter of minutes."

The man obviously saw that he lost the battle and two officers took him away. "Wait, you can't do this. This is an outrage. I've been here for years. I'll report you to the authorities."

I held my chest while I watched the man being pulled away. _Oh my God, my heart is beating so fast. Kyoya was so...so...cool. But why is my heart beating so fast?_

Kyoya came back to me and I smiled. "Wow Kyōya, I am very impressed. I didn't think you would help a total stranger."

Kyoya looked a bit shocked. "Oh that? Well now she is hardly a stranger. Her husband is the CEO of a major electronics company. This is my first time to meet her personally, but that ring on her left hand is unmistakable. My family has dealings with her husband's company."

I stood in shock as the woman came over to Kyōya. "Ah, one of the Otori boys. Imagine running into you here incognito. The next opportunity I have I'll be sure to take advantage of one of your family's beautiful health resorts."

Kyoya bowed slightly. "We'd be honored."

I rolled my eyes. _Big surprise. Kyōya-senpai is Kyōya-senpai, after all. No, hang on a second. That woman's ring. There is no way he could've..._

Before I could finish my thought I heard Kyoya shout, "Hey, Maria, did you know this?"

I walked over to him. "Did I know what?"

He held up a bag of watermelon flavored snacks and asked, "Is melon the preferred flavor among snack makers? It doesn't make sense. If the primary ingredient is corn, why go to the trouble artificially making it taste like fruit? Seems counter intuitive."

I laughed at him and mimicked, "That's an intriguing notion, in its own way."

Kyoya raised his eyebrow. "Oh, was I being funny?"

I chuckled. "Earlier you were going on and on about how you and Tamaki senpai are nothing alike, but what you just said about the candy, it sounds exactly like him."

Kyoya smiled. "You thinks so? This does seem like something he and the twins would fawn over. Very well, I'll buy them. Maria, your wallet."

I sighed. "Oh yeah, I forget. Just be sure to save me a receipt."

He bought his snack and as we were walking by some clothes, I stopped at a dress in the shop window. It was a dark blue dress with a love heart cut on the top. Strapless and although it didn't sparkle, it had a certain elegance to it.

As I stared at it Kyoya asked from behind me, "You like it?"

I quickly turned around. "Yeah, it's quite pretty. But I can't afford it. Lets go."

I walked away from the dress and we sat down back where Haruhi and I saw him. Haruhi also came back from her shopping. "Hey, did you guys do anything?"

I shrugged. "Kyoya stopped a man from conning a woma. I bought him a watermelon snack. That's about it."

Haruhi sat down next to me and asked Kyoya randomly, "Hey, Senpai. Why do you think that Tamaki senpai is always so eager to help people when they're in need?"

Kyoya shrugged, "You mean, when there's nothing to be gained from it? Who knows…"

I leaned against the wall. "So, then when you help someone, how exactly do you benefit from it? Money or reputation? Or is it more abstract? Because the way I see it, Tamaki-senpai gets something out of helping others and doesn't necessarily involve their paying him back. So maybe when you get right down to it, the two of you aren't all that different."

Just then we heard a woman speak on the speakers, "Attention, shoppers. This is an announcement for a lost child. Attention, shoppers. This is an announcement for a lost child. A little boy named Kyoya Otori is lost inside the store. Repeat. Kyoya Otori is lost. His guardian, Suou, is waiting for him at the 2nd floor information counter. Kyoya is 5 feet 11 inches tall, with black-hair and wearing prescription glasses."

_Oh my God this is priceless!_

"Is that him?"

"Matches the description."

"He's a little big to be lost, don't you think?"

"Hey mister, is there something wrong with you?"

Kyoya clenched his fist and yelled, "That damn idiot. I'll kill him!"

Haruhi and I yelped in fear and ran with him to the information counter.

* * *

We saw all of the guys there waiting for him and Tamaki squealed, "Kyoya, there you are! We were so worried. Why is Haruhi with you?"

Hunny smiled, "Oh boy, Oh boy, Haru-chan and Mari-chan have come to play with us."

The twins jumped in glee, "Hooray! Play! Play! Play! Play!"

Haruhi sighed. "I'm sorry, guys, but I'm exhausted. It has been a very long day for me."

I nodded "Me too, I'm going home to hibernate for the rest of the year."

Just then, a beautiful golden dog jumped onto Tamaki and started licking his face. "Stop it! Quit licking me! That tickles!"

Tamaki laughed in excitement and Kyoya sighed, "What's with the dog?"

Tamaki smiled. "Isn't she beautiful? I got her at this amazing place they call a pet shop. Hey, cut it out, Antoinette!"

He continued playing with the dog and Kyoya rubbed his temples. "How exactly am I like this moron?"

Haruhi and I were walking off as I stopped to him. "I know you want me to believe your only reasons for helping that woman earlier were selfish ones. But that isn't actually the truth. Because from where we were standing, there's no way you could have seen her ring. There was a flag blocking our view. It just doesn't make sense. You go to all that trouble acting like you're such a big jerk when being a nice guy comes so naturally to you. It seems counter intuitive."

Haruhi and I walked to the bus stop and got onto the bus to take us home. Haruhi whispered to me, "So did you and Kyoya have fun?"

I glared at her. "You left me all alone with Mr. Grumpy pants! Why?!"

She chuckled. "Because it was obvious you wanted to be alone with him. I'm not being the third wheel."

I looked at her and turned away, blushing. "I, no I didn't." We arrived at her stop and she got off smirking at me. I rolled my eyes and finally arrived home. I walked into my cozy home and mum was sitting in her usual chair

"Hello, dear. How was the mall?"

I smiled. "It was okay. The guys turned up there."

Mum smiled. "Was that handsome Kyoya there too?"

I gasped, "Mum! Don't say stuff like that!"

She laughed. "Well, am I wrong? Also you seem to be glowing today. Did something happen?"

I blushed even more. "N-no! Well, maybe. Oh, I don't know!"

I slumped down into the chair and sighed. "Whenever I see Kyoya, my heart races. I can't breath, I smile at the mere thought of him."

My mum smiled even bigger, showing all her teeth. "Oh this is wonderful! Honey, you're in love!"

I shouted, "What?! I can't be in love with him! There's no way! We live in completely different worlds."

Mum shook her head. "You can't deny it. You'll figure it out. Now come on, school starts tomorrow."

I sighed and bathed myself, then mum, got her dressed and tucked her into bed. I went to my room and lay in my bed.

_Is she right? Am I in love with him? The more I think about it, the more she's right. I am in love with Kyoya Otori..._

**A/N: Oooooooooo she's in love! But will they confess? Anyway thanks to Becca for Beta-reading this and thank you my lovely reviewers. Please R&R!**


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